Shaping London’s economic future

I also found the questions directed at people who are working or trying to work. I also found Question 12 puzzling.

I would like to say that the planning in our area is all about meeting housing targets (often not affordable or for families)and spaces for small businesses are being lost so for young people who want to variously work in trades or small manufacturing businesses they are losing that opportunity and will have to travel to find not only housing but work. I want to be able to speak up for the younger generations although I am old an decrepit! This questionnair did not give me that option.

I have just completed your questionnaire and much of didn’t really apply to me. I’m retired and I volunteer regularly with a number of organisations. I think that my voluntary contribution is important to the organisations I support, and that the opportunity to volunteer is good for my health and well being and to maintain an active social circle. It’s rare that a survey addresses people like me, of even acknowledges the contribution we make to the economy and to the success of London. Your survey was no exception. 

Living on the edge of the GLA, the mayor's imposition of ULEZ, traffic restrictions, and the generally poor nature of the offer have resulted in me avoiding my most local shopping and entertainment centres and using those outside the GLA area.

Places such as Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester offer much better communications, choice and facilties than anything within the GLA area.

Growing London's economy requires several things but I believe the top three are jobs, transport and housing.

Good jobs with scope for career progression. Well paid, secure jobs even at the bottom end of the scale that allow Londoners to enjoy some of their earnings rather than simply surviving.

Improved public transport.

Alt ough London has some of the best public transport in the country I believe there is always scope in improve.

There are several schemes that have been put on the back boiler in recent years such as the Bakerloo line extension, cross rail 2, sorting out HS2 at Euston, tramlink and DLR extensions all which will make the city easier to navigate and open up more opportunities for people.

Housing. I believe there is plenty of housing available in London but that it's in the wrong hands. Private landlords are stopping Londoners getting on the housing ladder by snapping up anything remotely affordable and then renting it back to Londoners who might otherwise be able to afford a mortgage if they weren't stuck in the rental trap.

And something needs to be done about many empty homes in the Capital which are used as overseas investments rather than providing homes to Londoners.

I live on the cusp of TfL Zones 2/3 only because I bought my flat nearly 40 years ago, after renting for eight years, and made a big effort to pay down the mortgage as quickly as possible. I have friends who did the same, up to the late 90s, but even with the most generous adjustment for differences in costs and prices since, none of us could even dream of moving to London now, renting for a while and then getting a foot on the property ladder – much less enjoying a London lifestyle along the way (you know, crazy mad things like going out for a drink or a meal with friends, buying theatre and concert tickets, attending special events, taking day trips out of town, even mooching around markets with genuine artisans and food-makers). I had all this planned to age in place, but I really now whether even that's possible. I appreciate that those of us in the retirement zone now had all kinds of opportunities which young people could only imagine today, but I would love to see London turning again into that world of new experiences and opportunities which we enjoyed. For openers, maybe – homes for people to live here, not just fatten non-resident property portfolios; support for independent businesses that can't openly compete with the national and multinational chains that are taking over local high streets; affordable transport for everyone. I appreciate that much of our current predicament goes back to the withdrawal of central government support for local and regional governments, but perhaps it's time to rethink that strategy, too.

Stop penalising the ability to get about as a result of the ULEZ charge and the rumoured forthcoming Pay-per-Mile. In other words, stop penalising the driver 

I agree with many here, issues are around affordable housing and activities for young people. In the outer borough's traffic, lack of cycle / active travel infrastructure, lack of buses and the unreliability of trains (caused by failures and strikes) are issues.

I would like to see (in a more successful London) more people being able to walk, bus and cycle to work / Drs / places of entertainment etc. which will increase peoples health and welbeing.

Jobs with focus on companies training young people. The companies who complain they cannot get workers do not seem to train school leavers or graduates so they cause the shortages.

More centers with parks and car control.

good local transport is essential, Hammersmith Bridge needs to open or be removed and a new bridge constructed.  Would probably save money in the longer term as well.

a local high street should be well kept, litter etc removed. 

access to green space is essential and this should be safe.

well lit streets at night to increase safety of walkers. 

essential shops with a range of prices to cater for an economically mixed population

Cost of living and renting for my kids (in their early 20s) makes London unattractive/unlivable. 

No reason for young people to visit high streets, no amenities/little is affordable,no community spaces such as youth facilities. We've lost dynamic markets where entrepreneurs could start and affordable stuff could be found. Camden market is the best example. The products there can be found all over London and from one stall to the other, so we've even homogenised these places that used to be edgy and a magnet for young people. we've sold the soul of our community hubs to tourism or large brands. If our young people can't afford to be here then high streets will continue to die.

Ability to get around in the car where it is essential, is being made harder and harder. This makes me increasingly reclusive and physical businesses  (In several high street locations I used to visit) have lost my spending because of this. Homogenised high streets are not attractive to me. Too many chain coffee shops, same retail outlets and not enough variety. 

Successful growth can only happen if we have affordable housing and modern transport systems. Young people can't thrive working from.hime, but travelling to work is very expensive on the tubes and when you're there it's expensive to eat and socialise. 

And finally. Disjointed,multi-modal transport strategies between boroughs. Stop start funding that force boroughs to do piecemeal work. London needs a single strategy for safe cycling and walking that also respects the need for many Londoners to drive. Where's the big bold idea for London? 33 fragmented schemes will simply frustrate us all further

Our local council (Southwark) has introduced Controlled Parking Zones which destroys community. Want to drive an older relative to church?  You can't, it's in a different CPZ.  

Need to drive a sick relative to the GP?  You can't, it's in a different CPZ.

Want to visit a friend with your young kids?  You can't, it's in a different CPZ.

I use public transport a lot, but sometimes it just isn't feasible, and on those occasions I now can't drive.

I think one of the biggest challenges is the cost of living (and in particular housing) in London.  There doesn't seem to be enough affordable housing to meet the needs of key workers....

Can’t comment about job situation nowadays as I am now retired however, High Streets now are full of  restaurants and foreign cafes with groups of non English men making one feel very uncomfortable. Have even had cars pull up with gangs jumping out with machetes.Little choice or availability of retail outlets, lots of barbers though. Lack of public transport from where I live, difficulty parking so unless there is a supermarket with parking rarely visit a High Street nowadays. Even then, no social interaction, all becoming automated so if I go  all I do is press buttons. Even at our local library nowadays cos of cutbacks most of the time is automated  with nothing else offered apart from borrowing books, it used to have interesting things going on.  I see loneliness and stagnation amongst so many  now. This is apart from the increase in building, high-rise, overcrowding , crime, anti social behaviour and  lack of anything for the teenagers to do.

The survey fundamentally misunderstands some of the challenges facing workers in London.

Biggest challenge by far is cost of living. Housing costs are astronomical. People can be earning what for most people would be considered an exceptional amount of money but find themselves having to cram into a flatshare, or other substandard housing that they as individuals feel is not commensurate with their income and life stage.

Then when they would like to settle down and start a family, the cost of family housing + nursery care (which is still extremely expensive, at £1.5-2K a month per child, even after recent funding changes) mean people find themselves leaving the city.

My firm hires globally for roles in London. It is increasingly hard to attract quality candidates to come to London vs other global cities, with cost of living an oft-cited concern. 

I wish there were more safe, segregated cycling infrastructure in the borough - it boosts business for local shops (contrary to popular belief) makes it nicer for people to be in the area, reduces air and noise pollution, returns to the street to the people rather than just a few motorists, and encourages people to be more active.

Questionnaire was about opportunities. 

How about maintaining a lIving wage in a stable  job . Wages driven down for 20 year with inflation.   Today its  more about keeping a roof over your head and food on the table. Opportunities are risks you dont need. Status quo is safe.

Concentrating on what needs improving. I am sure some people inside london and areas prioritised by policy will have much better experiences to report on.

Consider starting with providing the basic infrastructure like ensuring potholes are filled, repair the pavements, clear the weeds, cut the trees. remove the overload of signage and cameras from roads.  Its seems more attention is paid to raising revenue through ULEZ and other stealth taxes than actually delivering the basic services. Stop installing trendy and dangerous road layouts, how many pedestrians and cyclists have collided on people exiting busses into cycle lanes? London is slowing down to victorian times, what makes that attractive to businesses? Public transport is unreliable, expensive and patchy on the outskirts of London, yet we still pay the London taxes. It does not feel like we get a good deal. Slowing down the trains and reducing them so they can meet their timetables is really the wrong way to go.

E-bikes are great, but the vast number of them left lying on pavements and roads for days is not really acceptable or safe. Consider putting that right, collect them more regularly or supply fixed locations for them.

If we want a better economy within London consider speeding up travel, make it cheaper, make it reliable, keep it safe.

My local high street has been decimated by suppressing parking (more CPZs), pricier parking, harder to get. Public transport is slow and unreliable (3 buses in a row then nothing). Many shops closed by high business rates and we now have a high street filled with charity shops. Does not feel like an  economy designed for growth and success.

Talking of initiatives outer london stations were equipped with card readers to extend the payment systems to outer zones. That was supposed to be live in 2023, its now end July 2024 and its still not live. We are spending the money but nothing works, why? Distracted with ULEZ?

My local borough shows low consideration for pedestrians/ bus users by failing to provide adequate road crossing facilities where they are badly needed.  I've almost given up travelling on one of my two principle local bus routes because of the uncertainty of serious traffic congestion en route to the Underground.  I hate traffic lights which stay red to pedestrians for ages, while no traffic is moving, and one cannot see what the traffic lights display to waiting traffic.  Many cyclists and scootists are a total menace to pedestrians.

My relatives lived in East Ham and as a child I loved staying with them and going to the Museums and shops in Central London, they moved out in the mid 80's due to the increase in crime. 

I moved from Hampshire to London 23 years ago at first I loved being able to get into London to see shows and I loved the multicultural aspect of the city. 

Now I'm not sure if I want to grow old here, my High Street is full of £1 and chicken shops, the banks are closing left right and centre. My GP surgery is overwhelmed due to new builds.  the Council are building High Rises on every available space.
I'm disabled and rent an adapted house but the rent  now takes a large amount of my income and if it continues to rise I will have to consider moving away. My eldest child is in their 30's and still lives at home because they can't afford to rent local and have no chance of buying their own place