London Plan

Mandate

The plan replaced the previous strategic planning guidance for London issued by the Secretary of State and known as RPG3. It is a requirement of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that the document is produced and that it deals only with matters that are of strategic importance to Greater London. The Act also requires that the London Plan includes in its scope:

Objectives

The plan is a spatial development strategy for the Greater London area and has six objectives. As of the 2011 revision the objectives currently are ensuring London is:

1. a city that meets the challenges of economic and population growth
2. an internationally competitive and successful city
3. a city of diverse, strong, secure and accessible neighbourhoods
4. a city that delights the senses
5. a city that becomes a world leader in improving the environment
6. a city where it is easy, safe and convenient for everyone to access jobs, opportunities and facilities

The objectives were previously updated in 2008 following the Greater London Authority Act 2007:

1. To accommodate London's growth within its boundaries without encroaching on open spaces
2. To make London a healthier and better city for people to live in
3. To make London a more prosperous city with strong and diverse long term economic growth
4. To promote social inclusion and tackle deprivation and discrimination
5. To improve London's accessibility
6. To make London an exemplary world city in mitigating and adapting to climate change and a more attractive, well-designed and green city

The original 2004 objectives were:

1. To accommodate London's growth within its boundaries without encroaching on open spaces
2. To make London a better city for people to live in
3. To make London a more prosperous city with strong and diverse economic growth
4. To promote social inclusion and tackle deprivation and discrimination
5. To improve London's accessibility
6. To make London a more attractive, well-designed and green city

Policies

As of the June 2011 revision of the plan the chapters are as follows:

Opportunity areas

The plan identifies dozens of areas of opportunity, which are where the bulk of efforts will be concentrated, with an aim at reducing social deprivation and creating sustainable development. The opportunity areas will be able to accommodate around 5,000 jobs each or about 2,500 homes, or a mixture of the two. The opportunity areas will mostly be town centres as opposed to suburban developments in the boroughs, although those are mentioned as important in terms of job growth and quality of life. By definition, an Opportunity Area is brownfield land with significant capacity for development. This contrasts with an Intensification Area that can be developed to higher than existing densities with more modest economic change.

Sub regions

For the purposes of the plan, London is divided into five sub regions. From 2004 to 2008 the sub regions were initially the same as the Learning and Skills Council areas set up in 1999. Within this scheme there was a separate Central sub region and four others around it. The London part of the Thames Gateway zone was entirely contained within the East London sub region. The 2004—2008 sub regions each had a Sub-Regional Development Framework. The sub regions were revised in February 2008 as part of the Further Alterations to the London Plan. These sub regions each radiated from the centre to combine inner and outer London boroughs. The 2008—2011 sub regions, each had its own Sub Regional Implementation Framework. In 2011 the sub regions were revised again, reintroducing a smaller Central sub region and returning all of the London part of the Thames Gateway to be within the East sub region. The 2011 sub regions are to be used for statutory monitoring, engagement and resource allocation. Throughout these revisions has been a separately defined Central Activities Zone which includes areas with a very high concentration of metropolitan activities.

Activity centres

All activity centres are categorised into:

Over 1,200 smaller neighbourhood and local centres are also identified in the plan.

Alterations

There have been a number of amendments to the London Plan which have been incorporated into the current version that was published in February 2008. Early alterations were made covering housing provision targets, waste and minerals. Further alterations to the plan covered climate change; London as a world city; The London Economy; Housing; Tackling social exclusion; Transport; London's geography, the sub-regions and inter-regions; London's suburbs; Liveability (including safety, security and open spaces); and the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The mayor gained new statutory powers following the Greater London Authority Act 2007. Following the 2008 change of mayor, a new review was initiated in July 2008 and a new London Plan published in July 2011. As of June 2011 modifications will be made to fully comply with the National Planning Policy Framework.

In 2013 London Mayor Boris Johnson proposed early minor alterations to the London Plan that were aimed at preventing boroughs from setting rent caps or targets for affordable rented homes in their local development frameworks. The alterations were approved in a vote by the London Assembly in September 2013.