London Plan

The London Plan

Cover of the third major version of the London Plan published in July 2011
Author	Mayor of London
Cover artist	Photograph by Eleanor Ward
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Subject	Statutory planning document of Greater London
Publisher	Greater London Authority
Publication date	February 2004 February 2008 July 2011
Media type	Print / On-line
Pages	317
ISBN	9781847814517
Dewey Decimal	711
Preceded by	The London Plan: Consolidated with Alterations since 2004

The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority.^[1] The regional planning document was first published in final form on 10 February 2004. In addition to minor alterations, it was substantially revised and republished in February 2008^[2] and again in July 2011.^[3][4] The London Plan published in July 2011 is currently in effect and has 2031 as a formal end date. As of June 2012 minor alterations are being made to the plan to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes in national policy.

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:

• the health of Londoners,
• equality of opportunity,
• contribution to sustainable development in the United Kingdom.

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

— London Plan, 2011

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

— London Plan, 2008

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

— London Plan, 2004

Policies

The geographical scope of the plan is the London region

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

Chapter	Title	Summary
1	Context and strategy	Demography, external forces, quality of life
2	Places	Sub-regions, Outer London, Inner London, Central Activities Zone, opportunity areas, intensification areas, town centres
3	People	Health, housing, social infrastructure
4	Economy	Economic sectors and workspaces
5	Response to climate change	Climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, waste, contaminated land
6	Transport	Integrating transport and development, connectivity
7	Living spaces and places	Place shaping, environment and landscapes, air and noise pollution, emergency planning, Blue Ribbon Network

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.

Sub regions

Development must not encroach on green spaces

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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] The 2008—2011 sub regions, each had its own Sub Regional Implementation Framework.^[8] 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.^[9] Throughout these revisions has been a separately defined Central Activities Zone which includes areas with a very high concentration of metropolitan activities.

Activity centres

Sutton, a metropolitan centre

All activity centres are categorised into:

• 2 international centres, the West End and Knightsbridge. The City of London is not included as it is not part of Greater London.
• 13 metropolitan centres such as Bromley, Croydon, Ealing and Harrow
• 35 major centres such as Brixton, East Ham, Richmond, Barking, and Whitechapel
• 156 district centres such as Bethnal Green, Forest Gate, Leyton, Shadwell and Welling.

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

International centres (2)	West End, Knightsbridge	Bromley Croydon Ealing Harrow Hounslow Ilford Kingston Romford Sh Bsh Stratford Sutton Uxbridge Wood Green West End Knightsbridge
Metropolitan centres (13)	Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow, Ilford, Kingston Upon Thames, Romford, Shepherds Bush, Stratford, Sutton, Uxbridge, Wood Green
Major centres (35)	Angel, Barking, Bexleyheath, Brixton, Camden Town, Canary Wharf, Catford, Chiswick, Clapham Junction, Dalston, East Ham, Edgware, Eltham, Enfield Town, Fulham, Hammersmith, Holloway Nag's Head, Kensington High Street, Kilburn, King's Road East, Lewisham, Orpington, Peckham, Putney, Richmond, Queensway/Westbourne Grove, Southall, Streatham, Tooting, Walthamstow, Wandsworth, Wembley, Whitechapel, Wimbledon, Woolwich
District centres (156)	Acton, Addiscombe, Angel Edmonton, Archway, Bakers Arms, Balham, Barkingside, Beckenham, Bethnal Green, Blackheath, Borough High Street, Brent Street, Brentford, Burnt Oak, Camberwell, Canning Town, Chadwell Heath, Cheam, Cheapside, Chipping Barnet, Chrisp Street, Church End, Finchley, Church Street/Edgware Road, Clapham High Street, Colindale/The Hyde, Collier Row, Coulsdon, Crayford, Cricklewood, Crouch End, Crystal Palace, Dagenham/Heathway, Deptford, Downham, Dulwich – Lordship Lane, Ealing Road, Earls Court Road, East Beckton, East Finchley, East Sheen, Eastcote, Edgware Road South, Edmonton Green, Elephant and Castle, Elm Park, Erith, Feltham High Street, Finsbury Park, Fleet Street, Forest Gate, Forest Hill, Fulham Road (east), Fulham Road (west), Gants Hill, Golders Green, Greenford, Greenwich West, Hampstead, Hanwell, Harlesden, Harringay, Harold Hill, Harrow Road, Hayes, Hendon Central, Hornchurch, Ickenham, Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf, Kentish Town, Kenton, King's Road, Kingsbury, Leadenhall Market, Lee Green, Leytonstone, Liverpool Street, Lower Marsh, Mare Street, Marylebone High Street, Mill Hill, Mitcham, Moorgate, Morden, Muswell Hill, Neasden, New Barnet, New Cross, New Malden, Norbury, North Cheam, North Chingford, North Finchley, North Harrow, Northwood Hills, Notting Hill Gate, Palmers Green, Penge, Petts Wood, Pinner, Plumstead, Poplar, Portobello Road, Preston Road, Purley, Rainham, Rayners Lane, Roman Road (east), Rosehill, Ruislip, Shepherds Bush, Sidcup, South Chingford, South Bermondsey/Old Kent Road, South Harrow, South Kensington, South Norwood, South Woodford, Southgate, St John's Wood, Stanmore, Stockwell, Stoke Newington, Surbiton, Surrey Quays/Canada Water, Swiss Cottage/Finchley Road, Sydenham, Teddington, Temple Fortune, Thamesmead, Thornton Heath, Tolworth, Tottenham, Tulse Hill, Twickenham, Upminster, Upper Norwood, Upton Park, Wallington, Walworth Road Wanstead, Warwick Way/Tachbrook Street, Shadwell, Wealdstone, Welling, Wembley Park, West Green Road, West Hampstead, West Norwood, West Wickham, Whetstone, Whitechapel, Whitton, Willesden Green, Worcester Park, Yiewsley/West Drayton
Neighbourhood and local centres (1,200)

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.^[10] The alterations were approved in a vote by the London Assembly in September 2013.^[11]

Date	Document
February 2004	The London Plan
October 2005	Draft Alterations to the London Plan: Housing Provision Targets Waste and Minerals
December 2005	Reviewing the London Plan: Statement of Intent from the Mayor
September 2006	Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan
December 2006	Early Alterations to the London Plan on Housing provision targets, waste and minerals
February 2008	The London Plan: Consolidated with Alterations since 2004
July 2008	Planning for a better London
April 2009	A new plan for London: Proposals for the Mayor’s London Plan
October 2009	The London Plan: Consultation draft replacement plan
December 2009	Minor alteration to the consultation draft replacement London Plan
April 2010	Crossrail Alterations
July 2011	The London Plan
February 2012	Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan
June 2012	Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan
December 2014	FURTHER ALTERATIONS TO THE LONDON PLAN INTEND TO PUBLISH VERSION FOR SOS CLG 15 DEC 2014

References

1. Mayor of London (February 2008). "The London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)" (PDF). Greater London Authority.
2. Sarah Stevens and Ian Fergusson (2008). "The New Consolidated London Plan". Turley Associates.
3. Mayor of London (April 2009). "A new plan for London: Proposals for the Mayor's London Plan" (PDF). Greater London Authority.
4. Mayor of London. "About the consultation: What happens next?". Greater London Authority. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
5. Addison & Associates (June 2006). "Review of London's Sub Regional Boundaries" (PDF). Greater London Authority.
6. Mayor of London (May 2006). "Sub Regional Development Frameworks". Greater London Authority.
7. Mayor of London (February 2008). "The London Plan: Sub-regions, CAZ and government growth area policies". Greater London Authority.
8. Mayor of London (September 2006). "Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan" (PDF). Greater London Authority.
9. London's Places
10. Labour group fails in bid to block London Plan revisions. Planning Resource (4 September 2013). Retrieved on 6 December 2013.
11. Mayor could face legal challenge to London Plan alterations. Out-law.com. Retrieved on 6 December 2013.

External links

• The London Plan on the Greater London Authority's Web site
• Outer London Commission – established by Mayor "to advise how Outer London can play its full part in the city's economic success" (2009)