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36
that since 1965 Greater London has lost one-third of a million
residents. Moreover, there is evidence to show that London is
losing more than 50,000 jobs each year and, if this continues, by
1976 there will be almost 130,000 more people in the labour
market than there are situations to be filled. Naturally, to
Londoners, the social consequences could be really serious, but
even more worrying to the Greater London Council, is that this
represents a decline in industrial and commercial investment
which, if not corrected, will not only prejudice the area's viability,
but will ultimately lead to London losing its pride of place as the
world's business and commercial centre—a matter for great national
concern.
As a corollary, local authority income from industry will be
reduced and, if existing services are not to be cut, rates levied on
the private sector will need to be increased just at a time when
it is suffering from the effects of under-employment.
In an attempt to safeguard the interests of the capital's inhabitants,
its Council plans, with government approval, to increase
office and industrial development capacity to the extent of 29
million and 14.5 million square feet respectively, and to stabilize
its population at 7,300,000 by 1981.
(b) Greenwich
According to the Registrar-General's mid-year 1970 estimate,
the population of the London Borough of Greenwich has decreased
still further. The figure returned is 226,130, thus showing a
reduction of 1,900 (0.8%) from that of the previous year and no
less than 5,640 (2.4%) since 1965.
This borough, being an integral part of the metropolis, cannot
isolate itself from the capital's vicissitudes. Indeed, Greenwich
can rightly claim to have been more adversely affected by the
loss of industrial jobs than most other London boroughs. Contraction
of London's wharfage and docking facilities prior to
their final "shut-down" has undoubtedly been a contributory
factor in some of the city's more recent population movements
but the closure of some major sources of employment, such as
the Royal Arsenal, A.E.I., Johnson and Philips, U.G.B.M.,
"Matchless" Motor Cycles, etc., is probably the main cause of
the declining population of Greenwich since the early 1960's.
Over the past five years this Council's revenue from industrial
property has been falling at a rate of £100,000 per annum despite
the fact that, more recently, lighter industries and small firms
have been taking up space and establishing themselves in the
borough. Undoubtedly, some residents have obtained employment