Shaping London’s economic future

National one-size-fits-all planning policies have had negative impacts on high streets that were fairing fairly well previously - In particular the E-class in planning has allowed the proliferation of eateries and candy chops in towns that previously had a good retail mix.  While some badly-failing high streets could benefit from this, successful ones have been made less appealing. It was entirely predictable and avoidable.  High streets need more local curation and planning control, not less 

Likewise, Permitted Development Rights oversaw the loss of a lot of viable office space - and needed a big push on article 4 directions to overcome. 

Living costs have always been astronomically high in London but since Brexit/Covid and overall global economic downturn it just got soo much worse. Paying for basic fees mortgage/rent, service charge, council tax, bills, transport is getting out of hand and it makes life miserable living in London. How can citizens contribute to the economy if there is no money to spend on sports, entertainment, culture, eating out, etc... 

Rents/Mortgages are far too high not only for housing but also for businesses. Otherwise, more people could risk to start and develop a business. A business idea which is promising elsewhere is impossible to even start in London - mainly due to rent. 

The quality of life in London gets worth by each season. 

Focus should be on increasing the standard of living for existing citizens including air quality! 
Also, ban single car journeys, make owning a car in London much more unattractive and focus on planning that puts human beings first, not cars. Less tarmac, more grit, more green. 

The cost of living makes it extremely difficult for an ordinary family to remain in and enjoy what London has to offer. I love London but without increased income or lower prices it just isn’t possible to benefit.

Making all properties future proof with the appropriate insulation to enable heat pumps to work efficiently, solar panels to prevent fuel poverty would be a good start. 

My local high street needs a massive cleanup. Gum off pavements, shop windows cleaned, shop signs improved. All quality shops have closed other than Boots but due to high levels of shoplifting they limit products on shelves and testers available. Most London high streets need cleaning!

This survey doesn’t ask the right questions. Surveys never do; they want answers to skew towards their own agenda. 
What about asking people what they think of crime, including the alarming rates of blatant shop lifting and all the knife crime, teens walking round with knives down their trousers with no fear of any authority….). These things instil fear in people and therefore affect many aspects of the economy (eg, people might not want to be out late enjoying the night time economy etc, people scared to let their teenagers go out shopping in the West End alone, etc). And transport difficulties at night - I was in Earls Court last week and couldn’t get a cab (black or Uber) home for love nor money. Had all sorts of weirdo’s trying to talk to me. Not nice. 
I was born in London and have lived here all of my life, other than Uni etc.  It is getting worse. The current Mayor is not doing much to address these issues. There won’t be the right kind of growth with these things going on. 

The growth plan needs to focus on improving the average family income of Londoners, not on the growth of total GDP in the capital.  We should not be planning for population growth, but for a better quality of life for our current population. That means better quality housing with more space, more local jobs (with less need for transportation) and higher wages.

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

I can't afford to live here. Renting is a joke - you can be out in months. You nee to share a flat - no way to live.

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

It's of no relevance to me. I don't go to cafes or restaurants and small shops are equally too expensive for me.

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

Job - A living wage - which means costs have to halve, because wages can't go up to match costs.  I think productivity is not helped by small shops.

Energy is too expensive thanks to all the green stuff. "Just stop whatever-they-are-targeting" -  using your car, going on holiday, going to an art gallery, watching snooker etc show its out of hand and basically anti capitalism - so business will be pushed more every year.

 Somewhere easy to get to - fo location.

• What does successful economic growth look like to you? What would make you feel like you’re benefitting from it too?  

Economic growth means a balanced economy with low costs. We have an unbalanced green agenda economy  with costs spiralling to pay for it.
It won't change the world - which will keep gong with oil until the global population crisis is "solved" but it will "trash" our economy.
I know the green agenda in the UK has mostly been about mostly reducing acid rain in Scandinavia ( which became a serious "urgent" ) not global warming, but the replacement sources of energy are not forthcoming despite decades of messing about - so we will need rationing soon  - else the poor will all start voting for oil.
I will feel like I'm benefitting when I feel safe about somewhere to live that isn't an "affordable housing" substandard shoe-box flat.
I don't quite know why you are sending money on this survey.
After all these years nothing will change and the inexorable decline of the UK will continue for "good" political reaasons.

• How do you see your future in the capital? What do you need to thrive?   I don't feel I am in London at all.  I live in ESSEX -  It is just inside the London Borough of Havering by a couple of miles.   We do not have good transport links, especially outside rush hour - no underground train service locally just C2C - 20 minutes walk away and runs every 30 minutes outside rush hour, Local busses the one that serves nearest to me runs every 20 minutes even in rush hour.  We are in the expanded ULEZ area but my children live in Essex so now have to pay to visit me - if you pay you can pollute!  Nearby there is the biggest pollutant of all 'Arnolds Field' in Launders Lane Rainham but apparently that has no affect on the air quality but cars do - what rubbish.  I wish the boundary could be moved so we were in Essex properly and not in a London Borough.  

• What do you like most or least about your local high street, and why?   Not a lot to be honest!  There are mainly take away shops, hair dressers/Barbers, nail shops and foreign shops selling African, Indian and Polish food.  Are there this amount of English shops in Polish, Indian and African high streets?  There is a Church and Library (which they are talking about closing).   No banks anymore!  Nothing to entice me to go there, I would rather drive to Lakeside or Romford.   During the day there are always groups of Men hanging around sitting on benches drinking alcohol and smoking - weed and cigarettes.  I do not go there in the evening!

   

London is now a broken society.  Nobody can lead a decent lifestyle.  The Mayor is not hearing what the public are saying.  Our communities have broken down due to multi-culturalism and wokeness.  Ordinary  people have lost all confidence in the political class, who are deaf to the voice of the people.  There is no effective policing of our streets.  It is not safe to go out at night or even during the day.  Our local government no longer delivers the services that it is paid to deliver.  Local government is full of over-paid and under-skilled people with no sense of public service.  NHS services barely reach the standards of a banana republic.  The transport infrastructure is in a complete mess.  Public transport is generally unable to cope.  Basic services like electricity, gas and water  are in crisis.  The British way of life has been trashed by incompetent politicians and trendy wokeness.  I am fearful for the next generation.  The situation is hopeless. 

London is already too overcrowded. Population growth is not the answer. When the "high street" is filled with overpriced coffee shops, pavements full of dumped Lime bikes and roads blocked with LTN planters and daily reports of knife and gun crimes I don't have to much hope for a vibrant recovery - business friendly means open streets, zero tolerance policing and private enterprise, not social engineering. 

I am lucky that I own my house outright, without a mortgage.  I intend to continue living in this house unless I become so disabled that I need a wheelchair:  the corridors are too narrow for a wheelchair and the stairs are too narrow for a stairlift.  If I have to move, I shall sell the house and buy a ground floor flat with an entrance that is level with the pavement. I think there is such a flat very near my house.

My local high street is Willesden High Road:  it has a variety of good shops.  The nearest supermarket is the Willesden Green branch of Sainsbury's.  It has a very limited range of products compared with other branches such as the West Hendon branch, because it is a single-storey building with a small floor area.  I think that Sainsbury's should replace this building with 2 storeys of supermarket, with a lift to the upper storey and 3 storeys of flats above the supermarket.  I am sure that Brent Council would give planning permission for this.  They have recently given planning permission for a similar rebuilding of 2 community centres which were single-storey and now have 3 storeys of Council flats above them.  The builders have told me that the new flats are wheelchair accessible.  

I think I would not be eligible to live in a Council flat, because I would have too much money if I had sold my house.

My favourite shops in Willesden High Road are Happy Value, Fone Us and Sainsbury's.   

The various London local authorities and the Mayor all seem to have forgotten that the city needs a strong economy if it is to afford to invest in making life pleasant and sustainable. That investment cannot come solely from taxing and charging residents. The balance between carrot and stick is all wrong, with far too much stick in the form of ULEZ, road closures and massive hikes in parking charges, and far too little carrot. London must be a good place to do business as well as a good place to live, and the Mayor and councils must realise that stopping climate change is not their responsibility and not within their power to affect. They should concentrate instead on solving the housing crisis, which is their responsibility and is within their power.

I've been stuck in a flat I don't like (mould, condensation etc.) for over 8 years. No choice, as I rent privately and prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Moreover, every time a political party plans something about housing, it is always in favour of social tenants. What about me? I am disable, work part time and Universal Credit sucks nearly half of my wage. Road works and buses delays have become "normal" now, as have beggars, thieves and empty high street shops. A&E are a nightmare to attend and it takes on average three months to see a NHS consultant. It used to be funny and culturally enhancing to live in London, not any more.

I answered the survey as if I was still working. I have only been retired for one week?  Where I live has very good transport links but not for domicelery work if you haven’t got a car? To get from one end of the Borough to another by bus is very challenging?  It is fine for travelling in to Central London but local transport is limited. 
I now have to adjust to a different way of life? I shall have more leisure time and will hopefully meet up with friends? Go to more exhibitions,visit parks, museums and places of interest.
I think there are too many coffee shops and not enough small independent businesses in my local high street. I know business rates are very high and force some people out? There needs to be more activities for youngsters? If they are kept occupied and motivated they are less likely to cause trouble? 
They need to take pride in their neighbourhoods. All people need to have a bit more pride and respect for where they live? Educate them not to litter. To have manners. To queue. To think about their neighbours. Not to be given so much on a plate for free but have to earn things? You respect things more when you have had to work for them. Teach respect for each other. We all want the same things a decent home, food, education,health and jobs. 

I no longer feel safe on my local high street. Women are harrased and abused for simply being out on their own. 

The choice of shops is poor, so you end up online. Transport is over crowded and expensive for shorter journeys.  Pavements given over to eateries. Negotiating bikes and  scooters on the pavement despite so much investment in cycle lanes.   Pedestrian crossing dont give enough time to safely cross.

Whoever designed a bus lane where you have to cross a cycle lane to board or disembark the bus clearly has no mobility problems. 

Discussions about transport need to be re-framed. We do need to move towards active transport - which is 'wheeling, walking and cycling' (in that order) and move away from the unhelpful driver V cyclist positioning we see in the headlines of certain newspapers. There's far too much stereotyping, eg  'the majority of cyclists break the law'. Cyclists are just like any sub-section of the population. Some are responsible. Some aren't. But we all make mistakes on the roads and we could all slow down and be a bit kinder to each other.