London needs Crossrail 2 on fast track, party leaders told

CROSSRAIL 2 must be fast-tracked after the election for the sake of London’s future growth, business leaders said today.

More house-building is also vital to ensure the capital’s firms can attract the best workers, declared business group London First in a “manifesto” for party leaders.

“As soon as Crossrail is open, it’s time to start work in earnest on Crossrail 2,” the document urged.

Crossrail 2, which will run northsouth through London between Hertfordshire and Surrey, will cost about £27 billion but could unlock an estimated 200,000 new homes and 200,000 new jobs.

Jasmine Whitbread, the chief executive of London First, said: “The danger is that Crossrail 2 could be kicked into the long grass. What we are nervous about is a lack of courage or political will to get on with it. We want all the parties to be clear they intend to take it forward after the election.”

Ensuring continued access to skilled overseas workers is the number one concern among businesses, said the manifesto. It called for certainty to be given to EU citizens already working in Britain.

The manifesto also called on the Government to scrap borrowing curbs on London boroughs to double the rate of house-building to 50,000 a year, working closely with the Mayor.

Ministers should also devolve more of their powers to City Hall to enable the Mayor to kick-start a range of transport and infrastructure projects that would deliver growth. That should include letting the Mayor control property taxes and create new funding streams following the opening by 2019 of all of the east-west Crossrail.