Centre for Cities urges mayoral control of railway land to boost housing

The think tank Centre for Cities has proposed that mayors be granted control over Network Rail land to address the United Kingdom’s housing shortage. Research indicates that Britain’s 12 largest cities have 1.2 million fewer homes near train stations than comparable cities in France and Japan.

In London, the report suggests there is potential for over 500,000 additional homes near stations, while Manchester could accommodate approximately 134,000. In Northern cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds, increasing density to match French or Japanese urban models could yield 286,000 more homes. The think tank estimates that closing this “density gap” could reduce the national housing shortage by roughly 25%.

To achieve this, Centre for Cities recommends several interventions for the forthcoming devolution White Paper, including creating a fast-track process to transfer land from Network Rail to mayoral city regions. They also suggest using Mayoral Development Corporations and Mayoral Development Orders to bypass planning delays and accelerate regeneration around transport hubs.