Former City of London planning head says residents could abandon apartments because of upkeep costs
London鈥檚 skyline is in danger of being dominated by a forest of derelict residential towers in 100 years鈥� time if apartment owners are unable to fund essential refurbishment work, a former leading planner warned this week.
Peter Rees, previously chief planning officer for the City of London, said there was a danger funds set aside within apartment service charges for major renovation work on the new breed of private residential blocks would be insufficient to cover what was required.
鈥淚f future refurbishment cycles cannot be funded by the apartment owners, their investments will become unsellable long before the expiry of their 125-year lease,鈥� Rees said. 鈥淚n 80, 90, 100 years鈥� time, I fear we鈥檒l have the Thames lined with derelict towers.鈥�
But a spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation said modern blocks are built in such a way that major repairs can be carried out floor by floor without having to decant all residents.
Read: 鈥淚n 100 years鈥� time we鈥檒l have the Thames lined with derelict towers鈥� - Peter Rees talks to 好色先生TV
He added: 鈥淭he vast majority of properties are run by professional companies that take a long-term view of buildings. It鈥檚 in their interests to make sure the building runs effectively and is maintained for the length of its life.鈥�
Rees (pictured) also warned that with the capital short of land 鈥渋t seems crazy to have wasted that much of central London land on a product which will not only be under-used but for which there will be no maintenance mechanism. It鈥檚 bad land use.鈥�
Accusing politicians of destroying building control and laying the ground for disasters like Grenfell, Rees said he wanted to see the planning system overhauled to focus on land use and an expansion of use classes, which would allow local councils to distinguish between rental and sale homes, investment properties, starter homes, student and retirement housing.
Rees also called the government鈥檚 beauty-oriented approach, as evidenced in its 好色先生TV Beautiful, 好色先生TV Better commission, an 鈥渋rrelevance鈥�. He said: 鈥淵ou can have a wonderful place with very little beauty, provided people have the activities and spaces they need.鈥�
Rees left the City of London in 2014 after 29 years as head of planning. He is now a professor of planning at UCL鈥檚 Bartlett School of Architecture.
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