A new survey has found the majority of Londoners living in inner London boroughs want to see restrictions in place for new tall buildings
A poll of 500 London residents has found many people living in inner London boroughs would like to see restrictions in place for the number of tall buildings.
The survey, which was carried out by market research firm Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Skyline Campaign, found 49 per cent think the amount of tall buildings planned, proposed or under construction in London is too many. Only 42 per cent said the figure, which was 270 at the time of the survey, was “about right”.
In the outer boroughs a total of 34 per cent of respondents said there were too many tall buildings, while 50 per cent said the number was “about right”.
The survey found that many respondents thought tall buildings should only be built in places such as the financial district, the City of London, and Canary Wharf.
Furthermore, many respondents don’t think tall buildings offer the answer to meeting housing needs. Only eight per cent thought high-rise buildings of more than 20 storeys were the answer—a figure that grew to 11 per cent among inner London residents. However, 24 per cent said terraced houses were the most suitable to meet housing needs, while 21 per cent said low-rise purpose built flats were the key.
The survey also found that 60 per cent of inner city Londoners thought only wealthy overseas buyers benefited from tall developments, while 46 per cent of outer Londoners thought the same.
The issue is clearly one that needs to be taken into account by officials, as 27 per cent of respondents stated they would be less likely to vote for a political candidate who supports tall building development.
Ben Page, Ipsos MORI chief executive said: “This and other recent surveys show a clear desire for more control on the height of new buildings in London, and a concern that new towers are mostly for wealthy foreigners, and do not provide affordable housing.”
