London Commuter Belt
arrive at London's Liverpool Street stationThe London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London from which it is possible to commuting to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the London metropolitan area London Assembly - London in its Regional Setting (PDF) or the Southeast metropolitan area. Mayor of London - London Plan (PDF, 7.6MB) It should not be confused with Greater London or the Greater London Urban Area.
Scope The boundaries are not fixed; they expand as transport options improve and affordable housing moves further away from London. BBC News - The new commuter belt. 18 July 2006. The commuter belt currently covers much of the South East England region and part of the East of England region, including the Home Counties of Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. The population of Greater London and these adjacent counties was 13,945,000 in 2001. Demographia - Southeast England Population by Area from 1891
Green belt Much of the undeveloped part of this area lies within a designated Metropolitan Green belt (UK) so further significant urban development is generally resisted by local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate. It was expected that had this policy not been adopted during the 1940s and 1950s the area now perceived as the commuter belt would have been fully urbanized by about 1980, and the administrative boundaries of Greater London might well have been more extensive.
The Green belt currently covers nearly all of Surrey, eastern Berkshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern and mid Hertfordshire, southern Bedfordshire, south-west Essex, and western Kent.
Future The approval, in principle, of a second runway at Stansted Airport and the introduction of domestic train services along the Channel Tunnel Rail Link being built between St Pancras railway station, Stratford International station in East London, England and stations at Ebbsfleet (Dartford) and Ashford, Kent in Kent are expected to pull the area's limits outwards in north easterly and south easterly directions respectively bringing greater symmetry to the commuter belt as seen from space.
Definitions Travel to Work Area The London Travel to Work Area, defined by the Office for National Statistics as the area for which "of the resident economically active population, at least 75% actually work in the area, and also, that of everyone working in the area, at least 75% actually live in the area." Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs) Beginners' guide to UK geography, Office for National Statistics has a population of 9,294,800 (2005 estimate). State of the Cities Database Report on the Urban Competitiveness Theme for: - London TTWA (LA) State of the Cities Database - Department for Communities and Local Government (Mid year population estimates on page 4 of the report)
Environs of Greater London (red) extends beyond the London boundary in placesThere are seventeen local government districts that share a boundary with Greater London in the East and South East regions. Most districts have sections within the bounds of the M25 motorway or are within 15-20 miles (24-32 km) of Charing Cross.
Adjacent districts often share some characteristics of Outer London such as forming part of the continuous urban sprawl, being served by the London Underground, being covered by the 020 (UK dial code) and until 2000 forming part of the Metropolitan Police District. These districts are:
{] || Hertfordshire: Three Rivers (district), Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield, Broxbourne (borough)|-| Essex: Epping Forest (district), Brentwood (borough), Thurrock || Kent: [Dartford (borough), Sevenoaks (district)|-| Surrey: Tandridge (district), Reigate and Banstead, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Elmbridge, Spelthorne|-| Buckinghamshire: [South Bucks|}
ONS Greater London Urban Area The Office for National Statistics includes the following urban sub-units from adjacent regions of England in their "Greater London Urban Area" :South East Region
East of England commuter belt sub-region The East of England London commuter belt sub-region is defined as: North Hertfordshire - A Housing Strategy for the London Commuter Belt Sub-region 2005 - 2008 (PDF)
Further out Beyond these districts are dormitory towns and ribbon developments which have occurred around major roads and railway lines whose economy relies entirely on the capital. Even further still are other towns with an economy outwith that of London but which nevertheless serve as commuter bases. The vast majority lie within East and South East England. However, the high price of property in the even these bases has forced some commuters to travel into London from towns and cities in locations as far away as the East Midlands and West Midlands (region), South West England and South Wales.
In recent years, the rapid growth of low cost carrier has even seen workers commuting to London from the North of England and Scotland.
List of towns in BerkshireIndicative and by no means exhaustive list of towns in the area:
{], Flitwick, Harlington, Bedfordshire, Luton, [Finchampstead, Maidenhead, Reading, Berkshire, Slough, Windsor, Berkshire, Wokingham, [Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Burnham, Buckinghamshire, Chesham, Farnham Common, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, [Huntingdon, St Neots, [Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood, Essex, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Grays, Harlow, Loughton, Ongar, Rayleigh, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, South Woodham Ferrers Theydon Bois, Tilbury, Waltham Abbey, Essex, Wickford, [Farnborough, Hampshire, Fleet, Hampshire|-| Hertfordshire || Abbots Langley, Berkhamsted, Borehamwood, Bushey, Cheshunt, Chorleywood, Harpenden, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin, Kings Langley, Letchworth, Potters Bar, Radlett, Rickmansworth, St Albans, South Mimms, South Oxhey, Stevenage, Tring, Waltham Cross, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, [Chatham, Kent, Cobham, Kent, Dartford, Gillingham, Kent, Gravesend, Kent, Hextable, Maidstone, Northfleet, Rochester, Kent, Sevenoaks, Swanley, Tonbridge, Rainham, Medway, Royal Tunbridge Wells|-| Oxfordshire || Didcot, [Ashtead, Banstead, Byfleet, Camberley, Caterham, Chertsey, Dorking, Egham, Epsom, Frimley, Guildford, Horley, Leatherhead, Oxshott, Redhill, Surrey, Reigate, Staines, Tadworth, Walton-on-Thames, Warlingham, Weybridge, Woking, [Crawley, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham|}
See also
References London Travel to Work Area mapped with others
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Scope The boundaries are not fixed; they expand as transport options improve and affordable housing moves further away from London. BBC News - The new commuter belt. 18 July 2006. The commuter belt currently covers much of the South East England region and part of the East of England region, including the Home Counties of Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. The population of Greater London and these adjacent counties was 13,945,000 in 2001. Demographia - Southeast England Population by Area from 1891
Green belt Much of the undeveloped part of this area lies within a designated Metropolitan Green belt (UK) so further significant urban development is generally resisted by local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate. It was expected that had this policy not been adopted during the 1940s and 1950s the area now perceived as the commuter belt would have been fully urbanized by about 1980, and the administrative boundaries of Greater London might well have been more extensive.
The Green belt currently covers nearly all of Surrey, eastern Berkshire, southern Buckinghamshire, southern and mid Hertfordshire, southern Bedfordshire, south-west Essex, and western Kent.
Future The approval, in principle, of a second runway at Stansted Airport and the introduction of domestic train services along the Channel Tunnel Rail Link being built between St Pancras railway station, Stratford International station in East London, England and stations at Ebbsfleet (Dartford) and Ashford, Kent in Kent are expected to pull the area's limits outwards in north easterly and south easterly directions respectively bringing greater symmetry to the commuter belt as seen from space.
Definitions Travel to Work Area The London Travel to Work Area, defined by the Office for National Statistics as the area for which "of the resident economically active population, at least 75% actually work in the area, and also, that of everyone working in the area, at least 75% actually live in the area." Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs) Beginners' guide to UK geography, Office for National Statistics has a population of 9,294,800 (2005 estimate). State of the Cities Database Report on the Urban Competitiveness Theme for: - London TTWA (LA) State of the Cities Database - Department for Communities and Local Government (Mid year population estimates on page 4 of the report)
Environs of Greater London (red) extends beyond the London boundary in placesThere are seventeen local government districts that share a boundary with Greater London in the East and South East regions. Most districts have sections within the bounds of the M25 motorway or are within 15-20 miles (24-32 km) of Charing Cross.
Adjacent districts often share some characteristics of Outer London such as forming part of the continuous urban sprawl, being served by the London Underground, being covered by the 020 (UK dial code) and until 2000 forming part of the Metropolitan Police District. These districts are:
{] || Hertfordshire: Three Rivers (district), Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield, Broxbourne (borough)|-| Essex: Epping Forest (district), Brentwood (borough), Thurrock || Kent: [Dartford (borough), Sevenoaks (district)|-| Surrey: Tandridge (district), Reigate and Banstead, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Elmbridge, Spelthorne|-| Buckinghamshire: [South Bucks|}
ONS Greater London Urban Area The Office for National Statistics includes the following urban sub-units from adjacent regions of England in their "Greater London Urban Area" :South East Region
- Addlestone
- Ashtead
- Banstead / Tadworth
- Caterham and Warlingham
- Chelmsford
- Chertsey
- Dartford
- Egham
- Epsom and Ewell
- Esher / Molesey
- Gravesend, Kent
- Leatherhead
- Northfleet
- Ottershaw
- Shepperton
- Staines
- Sunbury
- Sunningdale / Ascot, Berkshire
- Swanscombe
- Virginia Water
- Walton and Weybridge
- Windlesham
- Woking / Byfleet
- Bushey
- Cheshunt
- Chigwell
- Chorleywood
- Harlow
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hoddesdon
- Kings Langley
- Loughton
- Rickmansworth
- South Oxhey
- Waltham Abbey
- Watford
East of England commuter belt sub-region The East of England London commuter belt sub-region is defined as: North Hertfordshire - A Housing Strategy for the London Commuter Belt Sub-region 2005 - 2008 (PDF)
- Brentwood (borough)
- Broxbourne (borough)
- Dacorum
- East Hertfordshire
- Epping Forest (district)
- Harlow
- Hertsmere
- North Hertfordshire
- City and District of St Albans
- Stevenage
- Three Rivers (district)
- Uttlesford
- Watford
- Welwyn Hatfield
Further out Beyond these districts are dormitory towns and ribbon developments which have occurred around major roads and railway lines whose economy relies entirely on the capital. Even further still are other towns with an economy outwith that of London but which nevertheless serve as commuter bases. The vast majority lie within East and South East England. However, the high price of property in the even these bases has forced some commuters to travel into London from towns and cities in locations as far away as the East Midlands and West Midlands (region), South West England and South Wales.
In recent years, the rapid growth of low cost carrier has even seen workers commuting to London from the North of England and Scotland.
List of towns in BerkshireIndicative and by no means exhaustive list of towns in the area:
{], Flitwick, Harlington, Bedfordshire, Luton, [Finchampstead, Maidenhead, Reading, Berkshire, Slough, Windsor, Berkshire, Wokingham, [Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Burnham, Buckinghamshire, Chesham, Farnham Common, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, [Huntingdon, St Neots, [Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood, Essex, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Grays, Harlow, Loughton, Ongar, Rayleigh, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, South Woodham Ferrers Theydon Bois, Tilbury, Waltham Abbey, Essex, Wickford, [Farnborough, Hampshire, Fleet, Hampshire|-| Hertfordshire || Abbots Langley, Berkhamsted, Borehamwood, Bushey, Cheshunt, Chorleywood, Harpenden, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin, Kings Langley, Letchworth, Potters Bar, Radlett, Rickmansworth, St Albans, South Mimms, South Oxhey, Stevenage, Tring, Waltham Cross, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, [Chatham, Kent, Cobham, Kent, Dartford, Gillingham, Kent, Gravesend, Kent, Hextable, Maidstone, Northfleet, Rochester, Kent, Sevenoaks, Swanley, Tonbridge, Rainham, Medway, Royal Tunbridge Wells|-| Oxfordshire || Didcot, [Ashtead, Banstead, Byfleet, Camberley, Caterham, Chertsey, Dorking, Egham, Epsom, Frimley, Guildford, Horley, Leatherhead, Oxshott, Redhill, Surrey, Reigate, Staines, Tadworth, Walton-on-Thames, Warlingham, Weybridge, Woking, [Crawley, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham|}
See also
- Home counties
References London Travel to Work Area mapped with others
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