The spatial response

London Arc sub-region

Maximising the benefits of a world city

London's economic footprint extends well into the East of England, its influence being most intense within the arc stretching from Watford and Hemel Hempstead in the West to Chelmsford in the East. The London Arc has a population of approximately 1.35 million. 290,000 people commute from their homes in the East of England to London, the vast majority of these from within the London Arc. It has features of a competitive location on the doorstep of a world city contributing significantly to GVA growth and within the influence of a global agglomeration economy.

The arc is not dominated by any one regional city although it does contain six key centres for development and change. Chelmsford and Watford have populations of above 100,000 across their urban areas and some of the others are proposed to grow to significantly more than 100,000 by 2021 under the East of England Plan. Some of these key centres of development and change such as Harlow also have a sub-regional economic and social role. Whilst all the centres share common issues in terms of their relationship to London, there are distinct relationships within the London Arc, effectively split east and west in terms of mid Essex, the M11 corridor and mid/west Hertfordshire, and how these locations manage the increasing pressures of growth and competition.

Assets and opportunities
  • a world-class knowledge-based economy with pharmaceutical businesses such as GlaxoSmithKline in Harlow/Stevenage/Ware; multi-national headquarters such as Tesco in Cheshunt; major employment concentrations such as Maylands in Hemel Hempstead and other global businesses, such as Astrium in Stevenage, Raytheon Systems in Harlow and BAE Systems in Chelmsford
  • each of the six key centres in the arc is connected by the mainline rail and motorway (except Chelmsford (A12)) to London
  • access to major international airports at Stansted and Luton and, in particular for the western end of the arc, Heathrow
  • the University of Hertfordshire as a leading business-facing university and Anglia Ruskin University with major strengths in applied research and skills development
  • a national and international centre for the media/TV/film sector with studios at Borehamwood and Leavesden, linked to the London creative cluster
  • the strongest skills base and highest average earnings in the region, strongly influenced by the London economy
  • a number of the region’s largest business parks including Maylands in Hemel Hempstead and Gunnels Wood in Stevenage, and the proposed Chelmsford Business and Technology Park Incubator
  • the potential to relocate businesses out of London
  • the potential of the 2012 Games to raise the profile and improve the image of the area.
Constraints
  • the arc is home to a number of individual new towns, which offer a range of employment land and premises and are home to major, often foreign-owned businesses. However, these places also demonstrate common challenges of urban environmental quality, uncompetitive town centres, traditional and protected townscapes, pockets of deprivation and poor image
  • particularly high levels of resource-use, domestic emissions and emissions from road transport with a significant transport infrastructure deficit for East-West travel
  • significant existing pressures on infrastructure and future growth rates that will place additional demands on transport and other supporting community and cultural infrastructure. This is particularly critical in terms of orbital transport constraints, as well as on key corridors such as the A12
  • low employment rates and low wage rates in some areas with particular barriers to employability due to a lack of basic skills and participation in deprived wards
  • shortages of affordable and key worker housing and other community infrastructure, along with an inadequate supply of private sector housing in some areas
  • with the exception of some key locations such as Chelmsford and Gunnels Wood in Stevenage, a constrained supply of quality employment land.
Strategic ambitions
  • support improvements in sustainable transport connections between key centres across the arc and between key centres and the international airports
  • retain and enhance the quality and frequency of train services to London, maximise the economic benefits to the region from planned investment in the form of Crossrail and Thameslink and promote a refreshed case for an East-West orbital public transport system linked to future development
  • support the development of other basic business infrastructure (eg power and water supply and treatment) to support housing and economic growth
  • support measures to raise employment rates and the profile of higher value employment across the arc by overcoming barriers to employability and raising basic and higher-level skills and participation in deprived wards
  • support further expansion of the higher and further education offer across the arc, focused upon the key centres, including Harlow, to strengthen skills at NVQ3 and 4 in sectors to facilitate progression to higher education that supports the arc’s globally competitive position
  • support the sub-regional roles of key centres of development and change by recognising the reality of sub-regional economies and the need to support the roles that they play within the region and sub-region
  • deliver a high-quality and sustainable urban environment across the arc, that supports historic assets, brings forward brownfield sites for development and delivers new town regeneration
  • establish a positive strategy for green space across the arc that consolidates a robust greenbelt review and positively manages a green grid' strategy to embrace natural assets such as Epping Forest, Lee Valley Regional Park, the Stort Valley, Weald Country Park and Aldenham Country Park
  • overcome shortages of affordable and key-worker housing and other community infrastructure by supporting the delivery of high-quality and sustainable development as part of an integrated package for growth. Broaden the housing offer more generally to deliver greater diversity and choice
  • enhance the important economic link between Harlow and Stansted in terms of skills and employment and improved transport connections
  • ensure a supply and mix of employment land and premises in sustainable locations that meet the needs of business, support the requirements of key sectors, growing businesses, innovators and start-ups
  • enable and facilitate cluster expansion, business innovation and radical performance enhancements around the arc’s globally leading companies and research institutes, supporting and enabling supply chains and business network
  • use the Olympic and Paralympic opportunity to consolidate and stimulate global business investment and networks across the arc and the arc's Olympic and Paralympic venues to trigger wider economic opportunity
  • promote the key transport corridors including the A12 and M11 corridor as economic drivers and consider improvements to support economic growth and competitiveness
  • continue to grow the University of Hertfordshire as the UK's leading business-facing university and Anglia Ruskin University's applied science offer.

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