The London mayor introduced the new London Plan in 2016, and adopted it in 2021. When the ‘beds and sheds’ policy, supporting the co-location of residential and industrial uses, was written in 2016, there was a vast shortfall of new homes (and still is), but delivery was steadily increasing.  

Now, however, it’s going the other way. A number of sites previously earmarked for residential development are now remaining as industrial, representing a new dynamic in the land market. Our three new research articles explore the tension between residential and industrial land in London and provide a perspective on how policy can balance these competing demands for land.