The 2020-decade Inner London warehouse will be different in five aspects from its one or two century old predecessor. This time around the warehouse is built with steel or concrete rather than iron columns. The ceiling heights are maybe double or triple, the lifts are indoors rather than a pulley on the outside, and the first floor will typically accommodate white van parking. With stunning outer walls of bright and colourful light weight materials, metals and/or glass. Rather than brown, red or beige brick, often now appearing as almost black.
High intensity giant logistics and distribution centres accommodating the 50 biggest logistics companies should all be accommodated in three inner or near-inner London locations respectively. As for the remaining 500 to 1000 medium size companies with light industrial, storage and/or logistics needs in the five inner southern London boroughs. Located one on top of the other in 3, 4 or 5 storey twenty-first century warehouse style buildings (see below figure from Berlin PZB).
Afterword
But dear Southwark and Mayor of London, please go back to the drawing board. Old Kent Road is nigh for redevelopment, but only as part of a holistic inner London strategy on retail sheds, light industry, storage, distribution and logistics.
Policies on white van emission and white van parking within Inner London and the North Circular Road are also needed. If one in three vehicles on Inner London roads is a van, then policies have to adapt to reflect this current situation.
Inner London policies on ground floor commercial, light industrial, workshops and civic use-class flexibility are also needed from the Mayor. As maybe as many as four fifths of apartment buildings in inner London are built at present with residential use on the ground floor. Mandatory flexibility on ground floors uses will benefit all Londoners and decrease the cost of local services needed by all – small businesses, the self-employed, start-ups and the like included.
