The London Commuter Belt, or London Metropolitan Area, is the name given to the built-up area surrounding and running into Greater London but not administered as part of it.
The boundaries are not fixed and as travel speeds have increased, it has become feasible to commute from a wider area. The commuter belt currently covers much of the South East England region and part of the East of England region. It includes the Home Counties of Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. As of the 2001 census, the London Metropolitan Area had a population of 13,945,000 (in 2001) [link], the largest in Europe alongside Moscow.
Environs of Greater London
London borders the East and South East regions. There are seventeen local government districts that have a border with Greater London and in some cases form part of the urban sprawl. These are:
These districts in many cases have sections within the M25 and, in the case of Epping Forest and Three Rivers, are served by the London Underground. Some of these districts formed part of the Metropolitan Police District until its borders were altered to coincide with Greater London in 2000. They are typically within 15-20 miles (24-32 km) of Charing Cross and receive the same regional media output from BBC London and ITV London as in the capital but are distinct from Greater London and not considered part of it.
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 independent of London but which nevertheless serve as commuter bases.
Much of the undeveloped part of this area lies within a designated Metropolitan Green Belt so further significant urban development is generally resisted by District Councils backed by 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.
