Housing at the heart of a more inclusive future for London

London’s population’s growth trajectory has been going upwards since 1991 and is still heading in that direction, despite concerns over the long-term impact of Brexit and annual headlines predicting a mass exodus to the regions.

The suggestion is that our changing working patterns mean we are seeking alternative and greener pastures elsewhere.

The reality is that our capital’s population is booming, with around 8.9 million people now living in London. This new high was recorded in 2022 and is seen in both inner and outer boroughs. By 2035, the figure is expected to increase to 9.6 million people.

The enduring appeal of any town, city or place, of course brings its own challenges and the championing of London’s most successful brownfield regeneration schemes usually in part contains an element of collective relief amongst partners and communities. Primarily that progress is being made to address the many and varied housing challenges that are part of the story.

At the same time, concerns around the cost-of-living crisis and wider long term societal problems play out in London, as they are doing elsewhere in the UK.

Housing is the priority issue because it touches on so many other areas of life; without a home it is hard to find a job; without a home near to where you work, the cost and time spent travelling to work can be prohibitive; and using all your income on housing leaves little in the bank for fun, emergencies, saving for retirement and being able to enjoy the city in which you live in.

London is by far the most overcrowded region in England and Wales with 11.6% of households having too few bedrooms for their occupants. In Newham, one of the boroughs where we have been working over the last decade to deliver new homes through our joint venture ECF, some 24.5% of households are living in overcrowded homes.

Talk of any sort of crisis demands immediate action but, conversely, long term, sustainable regeneration and delivery of new homes inevitably takes time. Before anything can happen, there must be investors around the table willing to take a long-term view and in many circumstances, a way forward can only be found through public-private partnerships.

This has been our experience in Newham, which is now in the vanguard of London’s eastwards growth.

That started to happen in earnest from London’s selection as the chosen city to host the 2012 Olympic Games. When being selected in 2005, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games had seven years to bring the lands into single ownership, remediate the land, finalise the masterplan, obtain planning consent, procure, develop, construct and service the stadia and athletes’ villages.

Supported by £9.3 billion government funding, the games were a huge success internationally, and their regenerative resonance is still ringing the changes across East London.

Capitalising on momentum

Newham has continued building on this ambitious regenerative journey, with Sadiq Khan moving the Greater London Authority to the Crystal Building in the Royal Docks, which has driven a significant population increase in the Borough.

Between 2021 and 2022, Newham ranked third in population increase amongst all local authorities across England and Wales. In that year, the Borough’s population increased by 3% to 360,400 people, making it the fourth largest Borough in London by population.

The demographic has changed face too. With the average age of the population at 32.6 years old, making Newham the second youngest London borough (and the seventh youngest local authority area in the country).

Younger populations moving to an area are a sure sign we have to a vibrant community growing and will create a real buzz to the growing place.

Newham is now forecast to experience the fourth highest growth in new households of any London borough at 10.7%, equating to a further 12,500 households.

Lesson learnt from Manor Road Quarter

The latest landmark new neighbourhood in Newham is Manor Road Quarter, being brought to life by ECF, a joint venture between Muse, Homes England and Legal & General. Across the road from Canning Town’s Bus and London Underground Stations, when complete it will feature 804 homes, a new linear public park with more than 2.9 acres of green space and a host of community amenities.

This builds off the success of a previous ECF neighbourhood, Rathbone Market, which is a truly mixed-use community next door in Canning Town that features 652 mixed-tenure homes, 32,000 sq ft of space for shops and businesses, a library and neighbourhood centre, and two new public spaces.

Having already delivered hundreds of homes for families in Newham, ECF have learnt about the importance of sustainability and wellbeing to its young, energetic and ambitious workforce. We’ve worked hard to ensure the homes and communities we have built there are both enjoyable and healthy places to live in, as well as being good for the planet. We are proud to have achieved a 64% carbon emissions reduction compared to the target with Building Regulations, as well as providing next generation heating systems, quality green space, outdoor amenities and wellness areas.

Replicating the blueprint elsewhere

Given there has been so much sustained success in Newham over the last decade, the question is how we can replicate this in other Boroughs across the UK, to be delivered at the same pace.

It is important to acknowledge the role of key, anchor schemes. Successful, rapid regeneration is often inspired by cities winning bids for international sporting events or other important cultural or infrastructure projects. Initiatives like the Olympics at the heart of regeneration can attract further investment in the surrounding area from private developers, but also, ignite a community spirit and welcome others in.

Not every local authority will have the opportunity to host the Olympics or other cultural events, but having a sporting, entertainment, or cultural hub as an anchor to a place can help deliver it at pace.

Additionally, a public sector partner united in its belief in the long-term benefits of high-quality regeneration can be instrumental to the speed of delivery. Fostering a strong public-private partnership is a key part of the Muse regeneration blueprint. We have a great track record delivering high quality, sustainable new places which bring real value to communities. However, despite our capabilities, experience and local insight, it is working in partnership – like we have done with ECF at Manor Road Quarter – where we deliver the greatest results.

Each community is different and comes with its own challenges and opportunities. But there is a lot to be learnt from Newham and other successful regeneration projects across London to ensure thriving, inclusive, kinder places are created for our growing communities.