00:02London's development picture stretches from major regeneration projects and new homes to the future
00:07of some of the capital's best-known public assets. Here's a look at five stories raising questions
00:13about how London grows, where investment goes. First, a senior London Assembly member is calling
00:18for the government to reconsider expansion plans at airports, arguing that more investment should
00:23instead be directed towards major hubs in the North and Midlands. Ministers have backed proposals
00:29to expand Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and London City Airport. Leonie Cooper, Deputy Chair
00:35of the London Assembly's Environment Committee, says airport expansion could concentrate economic
00:40growth in the southeast. The government says expansion can support jobs and investment while
00:45meeting climate commitments and minimising impacts on local communities. The mayor has also said any
00:51expansion must address environmental and local concerns. Meanwhile, London Stadium could host
00:57more concerts and other non-sporting events under proposed changes to its planning conditions.
01:02The stadium currently has permission for 10 non-sporting events and up to 87 sports events
01:07each year. Its owners want to change that to 24 concert days and 70 sports days. They say the change
01:14would have no impact on West Ham United matches. Stadium bosses told City Hall that the venue recorded
01:19an operating loss of around £19 million in the last financial year. In South London, a new partnership
01:26involving Greenwich Council, the Greater London Authority and Transport for London aims to unlock the
01:32regeneration of Charlton Riverside. The area, which is currently dominated by industrial land,
01:37has an ambition for around 8,000 new homes and 1,000 jobs over the next 20 years. The partners
01:43say they want to
01:44improve transport links, coordinate land and infrastructure and attract investment across
01:49the area. Greenwich Council says it wants the public sector to play a leading role in shaping the area.
01:57Housing delivery also features in a wider debate about how quickly different parts of the country
02:01are building. Manchester City Council said figures for last year showed 4,766 homes completed in the city,
02:10compared with just 4,261 recorded in London data published by the Greater London Authority.
02:17However, the Mayor of London's office disputed the comparison, pointing to differing official
02:22government statistics for the same financial year. And finally, there is uncertainty around the future
02:28of Billingsgate Markets and the businesses that rely on it. The City of London Corporation is seeking
02:34parliamentary approval to stop running Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets, after plans to move them to a
02:40new facility in Dagenham, were abandoned because of rising costs. The corporation is now supporting
02:46traders seeking a new combined market at Albert Island in Newham, while the future of the existing
02:52market remains uncertain. And that's your round-up of the latest development stories across London.
Comments