Current developments in
the London Plan
LSE London Seminar
9 February 2009
London is different
•Formally a region in its own right; but
functionally part of a wider city-region
•A different governance structure:
•The Greater London Authority:
•Elected, executive Mayor
•London Assembly
•RDA a GLA “functional body”
•RSS a Mayoral strategy (“The London Plan”)
•A different legal basis:
•GLA Acts 1999/2007
•Regulations
•GOL Circular 1/2008
The London Plan
•Mayor’s spatial development
strategy
•First published 2004; two sets of
alterations; consolidated version
Feb 2008
•Alteration to support funding of
Crossrail currently in train
•“Planning for a Better London” –
setting out Mayoral direction on
planning – published for comment
July 2008
•Mayor announced complete
review of the Plan December
2008
Change….
•Change:
•New Mayor, with new ideas and a new advisory team
•More emphasis on working with the boroughs
•More emphasis on outer London
•More emphasis on heritage and distinctive approach to
design
•Who have launched a re-write of the London Plan,
Transport and Economic Development strategies
•Economic turmoil
•New issues du jour – eg food
…and continuity
•Challenges haven’t changed greatly:
•Addressing population and employment
growth
•Maintaining London’s world city status
•Supporting a dynamic economy
•Providing homes for Londoners
•Transport
•Climate change
The bigger picture: some things
old…
•Still seeking to resolve the strategic/local
dynamic (an issue since Salisbury in 1899)
•Still seeking to contain London’s physical growth
(an issue since Morrison in 1934)
•Still addressing tensions between London and
rest of the UK (an issue since Barlow in 1937)
•Still addressing problems of development and
infrastructure (an issue since Uthwatt in 1942)
•Still addressing London’s resistance to big plans
and easy answers (an issue since Wren in 1666)
Late Victorian London
Great War London
Peak population London
..some things new..
•London’s economy: a nasty downturn or
something more?
•London’s population: what will happen to
migration?
•London’s environment: what differences
will climate change bring?
..and some thing blue?
•Possibility of further political change,
whatever the result of an election in or
before 2010
•Implications for the GLA
•Implications for strategic planning
•Implications for policy areas such as housing
•More immediately – implications for work
on the London Plan
London: basic facts
Population
2006: 7.6 million
2026: 8.36 – 8.71 m
2031: up to c8.7 m
Households
2006: 3.2 m
2026: 3.75 – 3.92 m
Employment
2006: 4.6 m
2026: 5.5 m
Sectors 2006 - 2026
Manufacturing: 124,000
Fin.&Bus.Services:
+605,000
The new London Plan
• It will be:
•Shorter and more strategic
•More user-friendly; arranged in more topic-based
chapters
•It will start with a stronger spatial vision
•Chapters on:
•People (eg housing, social infrastructure)
•Economy
•Transport
•Quality of life (eg built/green environment)
•Environment/climate change
•Implementation, monitoring and review
Revising the London Plan:
Process
•Assembly/functional body draft proposals
•“Statement of Intent”
•To be issued Spring 09
•“Public consultation” draft plan
•Autumn 09
•Examination in Public
•Summer 2010
•Panel’s Report
•“Intention to Publish” draft: for Government
•Publication: winter 2011
Emerging objectives
•Meeting the challenges of growth
•An internationally competitive and
successful city
•A city of diverse, strong, secure and
accessible neighbourhoods
•A city that delights the eye
•A world leader in improving the
environment
•Easy, safe and convenient access to jobs,
opportunities and facilities
Key policy areas: Housing (1)
•Will deal with
•Demand/need
•Supply
•quality
•Affordable housing
•Remove 50% target, but retain emphasis on maximising
•Shift proportions between social and shared
ownership/intermediate
•Supply:
•Continued support to maximise output
•Optimising (rather than maximising) density
•Link with adequacy of infrastructure
•Support for more family housing
Key policy areas: Housing (2)
•Quality:
•Space standards
•Protection of back gardens
•Designing out crime
•Specialist housing: new policies on
•Homes for the elderly
•Student accommodation
•Gypsies and Travellers
•Translating pitch need assessment into provision
targets (Government requirement)
Key policy areas: The Economy
•Supportive policies for all enterprises
•Tall buildings
•Outer London
•Commission to recommend growth hubs
•Central Activities Zone (CAZ)
•Support distinctive central commercial etc functions,
but also protect/enhance residential areas within the
CAZ
•Retail
•Securing affordable small shop units through s106
• Support West End
Key policy areas: Design and
Community Safety
•Promote a well designed environment to make
the most of London’s heritage and local
character
•Develop principles for designing out crime
•Supportive policy framework for community
safety/criminal justice facilities
•Support tall buildings in appropriate places
•Review London Views Management Framework
and enhance protect for World Heritage Sites.
Key policy areas: Climate
Change
•Making progress on tackling climate
change
•Ensuring the most effective use of
resources, particularly energy and water
•Encouraging decentralised energy
infrastructure and exploring the use of low
carbon energy options
•Supporting micro-generation and
renewable energy
Key policy areas: Open and
Green Space
•Major administration priority
•Promotion of London’s green infrastructure to
enhance quality of life.
•Protect/enhance London’s green and open spaces:
•Green Belt / Metropolitan Open Land to playing fields
to local pocket parks.
•Protect and promote trees and woodland,
including the examining ways of protecting street
trees
•Promote the provision of trees in new
development
Key policy areas: Infrastructure
•Major area for review:
•To support borough planning, as required by PPS12
•To prepare for the Community Infrastructure Levy
•Transport:
•Oppose the current plans for a third Heathrow
runway
•Investigate scope for a Thames Estuary airport
•Transport to support development of outer London
•Give strategic policy support for cycling and walking
•Promote better use of the Thames and London’s
waterways
Key policy areas: Infrastructure
(2)
•Will also cover:
•Other physical infrastructure, eg:
•Water
•Power
•Information/communications technology
•Social infrastructure, eg:
•Schools
•Health
•Provision for older Londoners
Key policy areas: East London
and the Thames Gateway
•Continue to promote East London and Thames
Gateway as priority areas for development and
regeneration
•Ensure that new communities have the
transport, social, environmental and cultural
infrastructure they need
•Ensure that realistic plans are in place to make
the most of the legacy from the 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games – including accessibility