Where are we with the London Plan?LSE London Seminar22 February 2010

The London Plan•Mayor’s spatial development strategy

•Overall strategic plan for London

•Geographic/locational aspects of Mayoral strategies

•Londonwide context for borough plans

•Policy framework for Mayoral planing decisions

Review of the London Plan

•First published 2004; two sets of alterations; consolidated version Feb 2008

•“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

•Initial proposals issued in April 2009

•Draft new Plan issued for consultation 12 October 09

•Consultation closed 12 January 2010

The London Plan Review: Next Steps•Now ploughing through 960 responses

•Next step: Examination in Public•Pre-enquiry meeting 30 March•EiP opens 28 June (to 16 July•EiP resumes 6 September (to ???)

•Then we wait for the Panel’s report….

The London Plan: The Endgame•Mayor decides whether to accept Panel recommendations

•Gives notice of intention to publish to the Secretary of State

•SoS decides whether to direct changes

•Formal publication (end 2011)

The London Plan: Where are we?•Quick answer: about halfway through

•In WW2 terms, invasion of Italy“I am under no delusion as to the stern fight that lies ahead” - Montgomery

•Wider question: where are we in the wider context?

Background: 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

Background: Challenges• A growing – and changing – population• More households• A growing – and changing- economy• Persistent poverty and disadvantage• A changing climate• Ensuring the infrastructure London needs• Securing the legacy of 2012• A new focus on quality of life• A changing planning system

Basic trends: demographic structure

Basic trends: employment structure

Statistically, these challenges could mean that:to 2031: • population grows by 1.3 mll • households increase by 0.8 mll, and • employment by 0.7 mll, • with household expenditure almost doubling to £160 bll.

And perhaps: • 4 million more trips per day by 2023, and • a 15% increase in CO2 output if we do nothing to address it.

Possible need for: • 40,000 more hotel rooms, • 1.3 – 2.2 mll sq m of comparison goods floorspace, • 2.25 sq m of office space in central London alone, and • 33,000 more homes p.a. across London

The new Plan

•Shorter and more strategic•More flexibility at local level

•Eg parking policy•More on quality of life•More on places where people live•More on Outer London•More on Inner London•More on economic diversity

The new Plan (2)

•Less prescriptive:•Set clear objectives•More flexible about means

•Fewer targets

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

Continuity with previous Plan•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

Same old same 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

The EiP•Main test is soundness:

•Clearly spatial?•Consistent with legislation?•Consistent with other Mayoral strategies?•Internally consistent?•Based on credible & robust evidence?•Realistic and capable of implementation?

•It will be:•Long•Expensive (in both time and money)•Hugely dependant on what happens on 6/5

Key battlegrounds: Strategy•Are the growth projections right

•Is growth desirable

•Is growth sustainable

•Is growth affordable

•Will population and economic growth match

•Alternatives?

Key Battlegrounds: Housing•Housing need and supply

•Affordable housing

•Housing design

•Gypsies and travellers

•Social infrastructure

•Places of worship

Key battlegrounds: Transport•Airports

•Roads

•Parking policy

Key battlegrounds: Living spaces•Conservation/design v development

•Tall buildings

•The River

And afterwards?

•Implementation Report

•Supplementary guidance•Housing•Town Centres/suburbs•CAZ•Industrial Land•Sustainable Design and Construction/Energy•Accessible/inclusive environments•Trees/woodland

Afterwards (2)

•Alterations:

•Anything arising from EiP

•Health and planning?

•Any new government requirements

•Mayoral manifesto commitments

•Housing figures update

Afterwards (3): Infrastructure funding•Community Infrastructure Levy?

•Regulations to be in place for April 2010

•Something else?

•Tory frontbench stance unclear, but likely to have something

•Part of the Crossrail funding package

•Likely to have major implications:

•Viability evidence base

•Public consultation

•Public examination

Afterwards (4)

•New inter-regional planning machinery?

•Back to SERPLAN?

•LP as Part 1 of borough LDFs?

•Strategic planning on a SE England basis?

•New Mayor, New Plan?

Questions?