Impact study shows Elizabeth Line is catalyst for regeneration

Official Project Partner: TfL

An impact study carried out by property consultancy GVA shows that the Elizabeth Line is already a catalyst for regeneration across London and the South East, even one year prior to opening.

Not only this, but the line is having a far greater impact than the previous study predicted in 2012.

The Crossrail Property Impact & Regeneration Study: 2012 – 2026 examines development progress along the route, shares lessons learned, and for the first time looks ahead as far as 2026 for the opportunities that will be realised once the Elizabeth line is fully operational and established as part of London’s transport network.

The study shows that the number of homes and jobs created by delivery of Elizabeth line far exceeds predictions; with some 90,000 new homes predicted along route by 2021, which will double to 180,000 by 2026, and over 362,000 jobs will be supported by delivery of over 4.4M sq ft of new commercial space by 2021.

The report believes the Elizabeth line will reinforce London’s status as a global city, by creating capacity for major HQs including Facebook, Deutsche Bank, Capita and Societe General, and allowing for the accommodation of 300,000 new jobs in key employment hubs.

The affect is not limited to the City, with town centres outside central London (including Ealing, Woolwich, Ilford and Romford) rejuvenated through the construction of new homes and offices as the areas attract more businesses and residents

Initial predictions quoted some 57,000 new homes would be developed, the new study estimates that this will almost double to 90,599; while office space also increases from a predicted 3.35M sq ft to 4.4M sq ft.

The development will boost properties across the capital, with an expected £10.6Bn increase in property values close to Elizabeth Line stations station expected by 2021.

The report also explores key themes that can help inform future infrastructure projects such as Crossrail 2, including stakeholder co-ordination, land ownership control, a forward-thinking and joined-up local authority approach, and public realm investment.

Martyn Saunders, Regeneration & Spatial Planning Director, GVA, said : “Our findings reveal that the Elizabeth line will have a much greater impact on London and the South East than previously predicted, with further growth and opportunities to come. In addition to the creation of more than 180,000 homes and 362,000 jobs, Crossrail has set a new precedent for large scale infrastructure projects for future enterprises and developments to learn from.”

Andrew Wolstenholme, Chief Executive of Crossrail Limited, said: “Crossrail is delivering more than just a railway. As well as cutting journey times and giving passengers more options, it is driving regeneration across London and the South East. With less than a year to go until the Elizabeth line opens, this new report by GVA reveals the true extent of the impact, and lays out some of the key lessons for future infrastructure projects.”

Val Shawcross, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “Today’s report reiterates the huge benefits the Elizabeth line will provide to London and the South East – not just providing a new world-class transport link that will benefit millions of passengers a year, but as a powerful driver of jobs, homes and economic growth that is already having benefits across the whole of the UK.”

Jo Johnson, Transport Minister, said: “We already know the impact the Elizabeth line will have on rail capacity in London, with half a million passengers every day benefiting from state-of-the-art trains and brand new connections, including faster links to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports.

“This report underlines the wider significance of Crossrail as a catalyst for jobs, homes and regeneration across the South East and sets an ambitious standard for future projects to aspire to. Crucially, with 96 per cent of the contracts for Crossrail won by companies across the UK, the economic opportunities of this transformative project are not just limited to London.”

Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “Not only will the Elizabeth line redefine how people travel across London, it will also change the areas around the railway with more homes and development being delivered. This report shows how transport infrastructure can regenerate neighbourhoods across our city, helping support the cases we’ve made for future projects such as Crossrail 2 and the Bakerloo line extension.”

Image: Shutterstock

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