Shaping London’s economic future

To much crime. Not enough seating & to much of the same business. Not much for disabled people to do. Lewisham is now a crime hell hole, that is unsafe to go inot the town centre. If i could afford to move i would. 

Traffic Congestion is a problem in my area. I would like to cycle more but Public Transport is dire, everyone uses a Car (especially parents taking their kids to school) and there are NO decent cycleways. As soon as I get out of Greater London the traffic density tends to decrease. Crime is on the increase, we need Police on the street to discourage Crime. It doesn't help that the nearest Police Station to my area is miles away resulting in poor response times. High Street is mainly charity shops, no retail to speak of. Only go to high street for chemists or a coffee these days. Need to revitalise High Streets somehow, need a plan but Outer London does not seem to have one. Mayor spends way too much time focusing on the City and ignoring Outer London, he doesn't care about the Suburbs other than to take our GLA money

I have just completed the survey and feel that there is a difference between issues in the part of London where I live (Croydon - Dirty neglected high street, beggars and homelessness, terrible planning decisions, historically incompetent/corrupt council, unkempt parks) and Central London which is a much pleasanter place to visit on the whole. I am retired so can’t easily comment on job opportunities etc.

The quality of the business offer on the High Street continues to deteriorate. There is no incentive for independent quality offers to be present. Coffee shops, charity shops and cheap outlets predominate making the High Street look and feel cheap and unappealing. Combine this with excessive under investment in the quality and management and maintenance of public open space and there is a continuing decline in community building and local ‘ownership’. It doesn’t need to be like this. 

I don't see myself living in the capital for the rest of my life because of how unaffordable and overcrowded it is. 

London is amazing and has a lot to offer, but the huge rise in house prices, lack of affordable places to live and the levels of antisocial behaviour are not something I'm happy put up with for years to come.

I work approximately 1 hour from home and the quality of the public transport has been really poor over the last few years, with no improvement in sight. 

Although the area where I live is nice, the amount of scams, thefts and anti social behaviour make it an unpleasant environment. 

I see my future in the capital the same as now . I am scared of getting mugged every time I step outside, the streets surrounding my house are full of litter and fly tipping is costing our council a fortune cleaning up . There are council houses being sublet even on my street and then filled with vulnerable people, shoplifting is rife , the police won’t come out . My high street is full of filthy chicken shops and pound stores with their clutter lining the streets .

Safety, cost of living, facilities etc yet my council tax is an all time high, my universal credit is not sufficient for me to survive and there are constant errors/difficulty communicating. Also, I should get PIP but I don't because of my circumstance. I was failed in terms of support and my daughters 9 years ago when I experienced DV & now things have escalated and are at an all time low. Oh & 2 years later I am still waiting to be assessed for ADHD/Autism despite knowing my whole life & my daughters having both. In fact its part of the reason I feel I struggle alone. Not to mention all my inflammatory conditions & illnesses!! Where is the single parent help wjen you need it? Just get by I guess because we are a burden... yet guess what? I worked since I was 16 until I lost my job & also I have a degree!! Whoop di doo!! I will overcome my trauma eventually on my own I guess....

My future in this city will depend, in great part, in how safe I feel. The local high street (most high streets) are becoming ghost towns, with shops closing down and sitting empty. Several areas including Streatham are now seeing pickpockets roaming around either on foot or on bicycles, looking for mobiles or bicycles to steal. 

A good job is one that allows me to cover my bills and also save a bit, not just live paycheck to paycheck.  

No discussion of how transport (and specifically low emission transport) will support the plan. And no mention of how the lack of supporting infrastructure (GP surgery, dentist, hospital etc) will keep Londoners well enough to work. No mention of how climate change and flash flooding could make existing spaces uninhabitable. Just seem to want to get us all shopping more for stuff we don't need. Depressing.

I am concerned about a the lack of explicit distinction between economic growth and sustainable growth and would strongly encourage City Hall's Economic Development team to look to far-sighted cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Brussels who are basing their post-covid recovery on the Doughnut Economics model. This prioritises growth of well being and a realistic acknowledgement of the limits we cannot continue to cross if the future is to benefit life on our planet

I need good medical services as I am ill health retired.  I am fortunate that I have enough money to live well so what  we need more affordable housing for young people, more medical services and more community activities for young people.

My local High Street has become a street of charity and discount shops.  Parking has been removed which makes it a less desirable destination so people go the big shopping centres.  I want green spaces, but trying to get shopping home on a bus is not good.

Economic growth is lots of jobs, minimum the London Living Wage for all ages.  Affordable housing.

Would be great to see it recognised that ‘growth’ as currently defined doesn’t serve most of the population of London, and is incompatible with the survival of our species. Please focus instead on community wealth building and building a sustainable future for us all.

I have lived , been educated and worked in London for 60 years and I have loved it . Sadly it is now unsafe , dirty and the character changed out of all recognition . Council charges are high but not it seems spent on sensible things . The bike lanes are empty most of the day except morning and evening and have made it impossible for cars so there is no consideration for the elderly . I have been to places which are equivalent and they are better kept . Where I live there is no high street so the the whole survey is irrelevant as well as which high streets are generally irrelevant as people no longer shop in high streets . 

I almost own my home so my perspective personally is ok but for London to thrive and give a sense of acquiring the basics in life food, shelter then a more systematic approach to city design needs to be taken and creating something that people ant to be proud of. So much fly tipping. Croydon really is a dirty old town but that requires behaviour change. Not sure the Mayor is responsible for that! Perhaps it’s a question for those who live here What would make you proud to live in your street 

I  happy about cpz not going through, I would have had to sell my car if it came into force,my wife would have suffered. All this plans  to cut down on car's on the road. In my wife case getting on a bus or a bike is getting impossible to do.

Lewis Farrugia 

I think the main problems are evident if you want us remaining (I'm an EU expat). 

• Control the Rents and Make the Landlords accountable for bad practices and behaviours. (ATM they're still doing whatever they want. 
• Control the poverty and increase GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION for kids especially in poor areas if you don't want see them stabbing people all the time. Obviously just pay more the teachers. 
• Control the pollution. We can't simply breath anymore. 

this discussion is based on the premise of a growing population: this cannot continue indefinitely! 

although population growth is primarily an educational & political issue, it does not help if economic planning is based on and encourages increasing population rather than addressing the diversity & accessibility issues of the current population.

The description of this project states that “the Mayor is working with London Councils to help drive London’s economic growth for the benefit of all Londoners”. But anyone who thinks that economic growth (i.e. increase in real GDP per capita) will in itself improve life for the majority is deluding themselves. Economic growth always favours the already rich. (Don’t take my word for it. Read this report: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/an-economy-for-the-99-its-time-to-build-a-human-economy-that-benefits-everyone-620170/). The only way that economic change will be “for the benefit of all Londoners”, is if we address the huge and growing gulf between the vast majority of people in the world and the super-rich 1%. And this has to be done at national and international level, rather than just by the Mayor of London! 

George Monbiot - and the Brazilian government! -  have the right idea: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/31/brazil-global-tax-billionaires-super-rich

I am ok because I am a social rent tenant with a teacher's pension.  But housing in Hackney is so expensive, and there is such a severe shortage of social rented housing, that for many people times are hard.  Private rented housing is insecure and expensive.  Wages do not match the cost of living.  Successful economic growth means good jobs with good wages, a good pension scheme, and job security.  Services that meet the needs and the pockets of ordinary people.  A curb on the building of expensive market housing aimed at investors and landlords and the growth of housing that meets ordinary people's needs.  An expansion of the public sector which provides the best jobs and the best services at the most economic costs.  Fewer expensive and exclusive shops and cafes and more that meet the pockets of ordinary Hackney people.  I worry personally about my children and grandchildren because of the cost of housing, both mortgages and private rents.  I wish they could get a council home as I did in 1977.