The new Government is determined to build 300,000 homes a year over the course of this parliament. Much has been said about building in Green Belt and Grey Belt but the reality is most of the new housing will have to be built on brownfield land in our towns and cities.

 

The planning profession learnt from the mistakes of the post war housing boom where council housing was erected without much thought given to the build quality, usable and safe amenity space and who occupies the buildings. Over the last 10 years London has been transformed by higher density buildings where the residential towers have been on a par with the traditional high quality commercial high rise we used to associate with the City and Canary Wharf.

 

CT tested public opinion on this new breed of tall building. Whilst the news headlines are dominated by the anti-tall building and heritage lobbies, we checked what the wider public think about them. The reality is the public either support (35%) or are neutral (40%) about the impact of tall buildings.

A net 58% of Londoners are happy to work in a tall building with a net 47% also happy to live in one. In fact, a net 44% of Londoners think the new breed of tall buildings have made London look better. Whilst 55% agree they look better in clusters, a net 31% support tall buildings where there currently aren’t any to provide a landmark building for the area. The number one reason for supporting a tall building is if it provides affordable housing. Only 5% of Londoners consider a world-renowned architect important.

 

The most startling revelation from the survey (which was also carried out in Manchester and Birmingham) is that a significant percentage of the public (40%) are not motivated one way or the other by tall buildings. They acknowledge tall buildings but have no strong opinion although, if pushed, agree they may cause harm to the skyline but that does not drive them to oppose them or the take from their desire to visit them and work or live in them. When asked about the doomed Tulip which was refused consent by the Secretary of State, three out of five Londoners said they would visit the attraction.

 

All towns and cities have to grow; the most efficient use of land is well designed tall buildings that are close to transport hubs, parks and amenities. By building higher density housing in London we take the strain off our transport infrastructure, save commuting time and help the transition back to working in offices and supporting the West End’s economy.