City of London Planning Chair: Protecting Views of St Paul's Has Cost London Billions

The one planning authority in Britain that reliably says yes, and what it would take for the rest of London to do the same.

London's housing target last year was 88,000 homes, and only a fraction got built. If you're paying more every year to live further from work, you deserve to know whether the planning system, the voters or something else is to blame.

Tom Sleigh chairs the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, where business people vote alongside residents. His committee approved half a million square metres of new offices last year and was ranked third fastest in the country for decisions.

You'll hear how predictability and a properly funded planning team cut risk and cost for developers. You'll get real numbers on what heritage rules cost, and a straight answer on why the property industry struggles to make its case in public. David and Tom also test the standardisation lever from the SPADE plan.

This episode covers the London planning system, density, affordable housing requirements and the limits of current planning reform. It's for anyone priced out of London who wants evidence over slogans. If you want a defence of every listed view, Tom has some uncomfortable questions for you.

Key Takeaways

A 97% approval rate draws suspicion from journalists. Tom explains why it shows the system doing its job when developers know the local plan before they apply. Shrinking the City's tower cluster by just 2% would cost over £1bn a year in lost growth. The reason is profit margins, and it applies far beyond the Square Mile. The history of how London's protected views of St Paul's were chosen raises a pointed question about whose views they are. Standardisation built postwar Britain. Tom makes the case for which level of government could bring it back.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Who really gets a vote on building

01:12 Meet Tom Sleigh, City of London Corporation

01:51 What makes the Square Mile unique

03:18 How the business vote works

04:48 How the electoral system shapes planning

05:55 The Silk Street application and Barbican residents

07:44 Planning by growth forecasts to 2050

08:57 What the rest of London can copy

10:52 Defending the British planning system

12:07 Why a 97% approval rate is healthy

13:27 Predictability, time and developer risk

15:38 Housing as infrastructure and the Goods Yard

19:15 Why density sits in the eastern cluster

21:38 The St Paul's protected views

24:23 Heritage as a political spectrum

26:45 The £1bn a year cost of 2%

28:37 Why the property industry stays quiet

32:48 SPADE, standardisation and metro mayors

35:46 Demolition, France and the Channel Tunnel

36:54 Planning reform or tinkering?

38:50 Close and how you can help

Useful Links & Resources

Maya Capital: https://www.maya-cap.com/ David Pralong on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pralong-bb7a09/

Connect With the Show

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Maya-Cap Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NpuI114H9c4QmfC4R09Pd Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/priced-out-with-david-pralong/id6821938508

Would you trade a protected view of St Paul's for £1bn a year of growth? Tell us in the comments. And if you have a question for David about how the housing system works, send it in for a future episode.

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