We have recently seen the GLA take a significant step in seeking to influence strategic planning beyond the City boundaries.

It wrote to Bedford Borough Council to confirm that the 42,000 units per annum proposed in its Further Alterations to the London Plan - which would be a significant achievement in itself - is still well short of what it requires.

With population growth anticipated to increase from currently planned levels to over 100,000 per annum until the end of the present decade and average 75,000  per annum in the 25 years to 2036, London's projected housing need is expected to reach between 49,000 and 62,000 homes per annum.

Fully calibrated household and population projections - as opposed to interim figures that are skewed by short term recessionary trends (as we have from 2011) - account for migrational trends. However, the scale of the shortfall helps to explain why the GLA has felt sufficiently motivated to seek to influence strategic planning on a South-East England-wide scale. The Bedford letter was copied to all authorities within commutable distance of the Capital.

It is more than just a numerical consideration too – it is critical that recognition is given to quality as well as quantity. Typically, tightly constrained sites within London require high densities to justify their development in terms of viability, meaning family housing need is increasingly pushed outside London.

Owing to the continuing economic draw of London the focus for sites beyond London will inevitably fall to those with good access to rail and other strategic infrastructure.

We would be happy to discuss the effects of the GLA letter on the areas where your sites are located.