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44
ment in the provinces which has precipitated the present situation
and thereby focuses attention on a weakness of overall long-term
detailed planning in connection with personal problems.
Several serious situations now appear to confront the G.L.C. and
other London Boroughs:—
1. Possible loss to London of pride of place as the world's
financial, business and commercial centre, a fact which is
also of great concern to the nation.
2. Falling consumer demands which will progressively affect all
forms of retail and wholesale businesses and manufacturing
and industrial productions.
3. It follows that local authority income from industry will fall
and, if public services are not to be cut, this will result in
higher rates to a private sector, the size of which is already
being effectively reduced by existing policies.
4. Denuding central areas of their younger elements by the
process of "decanting" will result in a situation whereby
industry in London will be left almost entirely in the hands
of ageing artisans—clearly not a happy state of affairs.
5. Fortunately, difficulties associated with finding employment
in the newer provincial areas is a deterrent and residents
willing to be "decanted" are becoming fewer. However, with
its 1960's accent on a policy of "all out" of London, the
G.L.C. is committed to a heavy expenditure on extant projects
in those very areas despite the fact that, in some instances,
subvented houses stand empty.
Effects of population and environmental changes on the life
of the capital have been somewhat underestimated or even miscalculated
and although, patently, present schemes must be completed,
allocation of progressively scarcer financial resources should
now be concentrated on improving the environment within the
capital and renewing its central areas.
(b) Greenwich
As an integral part of the metropolis and in addition to its own
peculiar problems as outlined in last year's Report, Greenwich
exhibits trends similar to those discernible in London as a whole.
It so happens that, in this area, there would appear to be some
compensating aspects such as the establishment of the G.L.C.'s
Ferrier Estate at Kidbrooke and their "Thamesmead" project at
Plumstead. It is expected that the former will largely be completed
within the next two years and will cater for over 7,000 persons.
The Thamesmead scheme, however, is already from two to three
years behind schedule and some drastic re-appraisal has recently