Expensive land, subsidies and mixed development in London, 1943–56

Abstract

The London Plans drawn up by Abercrombie and Forshaw during the Second World War were notable for their advocacy of mixed development through which they hoped to defuse the controversy over flats versus houses. Although giving support to the flat, it was also intended to re‐introduce the house as a major element in the redevelopment of all but the west‐central parts of London. After the war, however, with a few notable exceptions, the London Plan version of mixed development failed to become established in practice. This was due partly to the re‐opening of divisions which the Plans had sought to close. But it was also due to the manner in which the debate linked to mainstream political and financial concerns, and this is the aspect on which the article concentrates. In particular, it examines the development of the subsidy structure and its links with planning concerns and local politics. The discussion relates to the significance of the land values issue to war‐time planning, the failure to achieve a full solution, the ‘return to reality’ during and after the war, and the continuities between pre‐war and post‐war periods.

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