Shaping London’s economic future

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.

I have lived in London for 12 years and I love it, but the housing situation will make me leave the city. I am spending most of my salary on renting a flat where I can't feel at home because at any point, I can be giving a month notice to leave. And the insane prices don't let me save to buy a home despite having a decent salary. Without the help of a rich family, it's impossible to settle in this city. We either need to legislate towards safer renting for the tenants (longer contracts and fixed prices) or make sure that all those empty properties are available for people to live in.

It is good that most units in the high street are occupied but the pavement is taken over by illegal permanent structures for restaurants, cafes, etc. With bikes, electric scooters, ordinary scooters, prams, etc. to contend with as well at 75% of the pavement taken over by the seating for the restaurants and cafes, you have to take your life in your hands to walk down the high street. Illegal parking and dangerous parking by blue badge holders on bends (parking wardens seem scared to ticket dangerous parking by them) usually on double yellow lines, adds to the danger going down the high street.

More family sized houses and more facilities like Doctors Surgery’s, good schools (with places) and lower anti social behaviour ( public urination, beggars, drunks, graffiti everywhere, shouting, loud music etc etc). 

Central London has become an awful place to live. I hate all of the following: 

Oversaturated hospitality industry with unmitigated alcohol licensing

Filthy streets, rubbish and food waste everywhere; public spaces ruined by litter

Stinking sewage vents

Nothing for poorer residents to do; even our own streets are only for those with money to spend

More AirBnBs than ever

Never ending construction and demolition work and the creep of out of hours noise 

The relentless gentrification and enshittification of perfectly nice neighbourhoods for the benefit of property developers and overseas buyers 

The dominance of motor vehicles

The Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, is driving businesses out of London by bringing transport to a virtual standstill with his ill thought out lunatic installation of cycle lanes and LTN's. Not to mention his money grabbing ULEZ scheme expanded to outer London boroughs which has put off shoppers from further afield coming into the London areas, therefore having a negative effect on London's economy!

How can you work in a place that provides NO HOUSING???  I have been sofa surfing for 4 years now with no hope.

• How do you see your future in the capital? What do you need to thrive?  

  London was a great city when I moved in (2004). Unfortunately it has become more and more commercial, and less of culture and creativity is left.

• What do you like most or least about your local high street, and why? 

  There are multi-ethnic shops and restaurants. But, there is no sign of a cultural centre in West Hendon. I could've personally offer my expertise and would love to learn and spend time in a safe creative place.

• What does a good job or good place to work look like to you? 

  To be able to offer my expertise, and get a decent salary for it as a full time job, not zero hour contract...

• What does successful economic growth look like to you? What would make you feel like you’re benefitting from it too?  
  If instead of thinking about money first, the thought goes to people and their well being and education and fun. They can then become more creative and build the society and the economy!

I hate living in London. It’s dirty, overcrowded, impossible to get around with a disability and full of flats with no gardens. It’s a horrible place to raise children. The only thing I do like about London and would miss if (when) I move out would be the incredible diversity 

I am a Londoner born and bred.  I like its vibrancy and diversity.  I feel that Covid and the Congestion Charge have contributed to making the city centre less alive and have put more of a focus on local centres - the fabled "villages" that make up London.  This has its good side, but it underlines the fact that London is too big to foster much spirit of commmunity.  It is a city of stangers passing each other by.  It angers me that big money can buy up new housing developments and leave them empty while many people are homeless or living in one room.  As a disabled person I am unable to use most of the transport system.  The very size of London makes it diffiuclt to tackle ecological issues except on a very local basis.  The air quality remains poor despite the many efforts to tackle it.  Local authorities have been robbed of many of their powers - restoring them would enable each borough to thrive in its own way.  Cuts have affected local health, cultural and educational services.  Young people in particular have suffered from the lack of affordable housing (rent is ridiculously high in London) and from the shrinkage in the hospitality sector, which means there are fewer jobs.  Older people, like myself, are terrified by the social care crisis.  I am not convinced that we need yet more people in the capital.  What we do need is more resources and more creative responses to the many problems we already have.