Keep them spinning, Ken

Let’s play “what if”. Think for a moment about what our capital scity would be like if Ken Livingstone had never made it into the mayor’s office. The congestion charge wouldn’t have happened; nor would the Oyster card. There wouldn’t be so many tall buildings potentially on the horizon, and it is unlikely that so many people and businesses would want to come here and occupy them.

Opinions might differ as to whether you think the mayor’s choices are good or bad, but then that’s the thing about Ken. Sometimes you win a bit, sometimes you lose a bit… but there’s always a deal. Ask the developers who have been in to City Hall anxiously clutching the drawings of a scheme they hope to build. They emerge complaining that they are being squeezed to provide more affordable housing and more environmentally friendly features than they would like, but there is a deal, and ultimately it is a deal that comes off. As one developer said: “The mayor knows how to play the game.”

That game has become more complex since Livingstone first arrived in office six years ago. Delivering the Thames Gateway has become a priority, London has won the Olympics and the mayor’s powers over planning are set to be increased. Here’s what mayor Livingstone has to say about how his new powers will help deliver the Thames Gateway.

Q&A

What do you see as the priorities in delivering the Gateway?

The successful delivery of a vibrant, diverse and economically powerful Thames Gateway is essential for London to protect and enhance its status as a world city. Significant investment in the physical and social infrastructure of the Gateway will be required to create communities attractive to new and existing Londoners. Therefore the priorities must be:

• a rapid and convenient public transport network with Crossrail at its heart;
• attractive urban design formed of high-quality developments, welcoming green spaces and interactive public spaces;
• significant high-quality housing to accommodate London’s growing population;
• reducing the level of worklessness in the area to enable people to access the opportunities from the Olympics and other developments;
• making the Gateway an exemplar of sustainable development;
• investment in joined-up public services which are designed around people.

If only the Gateway could be boiled down to one single big obstacle, I would have had it sorted a long time ago.

If only the Gateway’s complexity could be boiled down to one single big obstacle, I would have had it sorted a long time ago. There are a number of interlinked and interrelated obstacles to navigate. I will be looking to use my new powers to work closely with government to crack some of the issues that are slowing down development.

What would increase confidence, and therefore delivery, is a strong commitment to Crossrail from the government and a joined-up approach from government departments and their delivery agencies so that social infrastructure is provided alongside development to support new and existing communities.

Why do you believe it will be beneficial for you to have greater planning powers?

Affordable homes are vital for Londoners. I envisage that I would use the greater powers to intervene in planning decisions where councils have turned down an application for housing or for recycling facilities. In a recent poll, 60% said they would back the mayor of London intervening where a council had turned down an application that would provide 50% affordable housing, and half of all Londoners backed the new powers for the mayor to approve major planning applications.

Unfortunately the government’s announcement in July of a major devolution of powers over housing, planning and skills, has led to much scaremongering and misleading comment. A recent poll commissioned by London councils was based on a series of misleading questions, asking about general planning decisions, when there are no plans to remove these planning decisions from boroughs.

Approximately 70,000 planning applications are decided in London each year. Most of these are decided by boroughs: just 300 of the largest and most important ones that have implications for the whole of London are also considered by the mayor. I will only be using these new powers to approve such applications in a very small number of cases, which are of importance to all Londoners.

London councils have stated that local communities will lose their voice and the right to be consulted over planning decisions. This is also untrue. In the very small number of cases, where I intervene, there will still be full local consultation.