The New London Plan sets out an integrated economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of London over the next 20-25 years.
Objectives of the consultation
Under the legislation establishing the Greater London Authority (GLA), the Mayor is required to publish a Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) and keep it under review. The SDS is known as the London Plan.
In developing this strategy, in accordance with the legislation and associated regulations, the Mayor has had regard to:
- the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
- reducing health inequality and promoting Londoners’ health
- achieving sustainable development in the United Kingdom
- climate change and the consequences of climate change
- the desirability of promoting and encouraging the use of the Thames, particularly for passenger and freight transportation
- the resources available to implement the Mayor’s strategies.
In drawing up the new London Plan, the Mayor has also had regard to:
- all relevant European Union legislation and policy instruments like the European Spatial Development Perspective
- the need to ensure consistency with national policies and international treaty obligations notified to the Mayor by Government, without seeking to repeat national policy
- the Mayor’s other statutory obligations including the duty for the GLA to do all it reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and the public-sector equality duty, as set out in Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, covering race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment
- the specific requirements of the Town and Country Planning (London Spatial Development Strategy) Regulations 2000.
The draft Plan has been developed alongside the Mayor’s other statutory strategies to ensure consistency with those strategies.
The London Plan is legally part of each of London’s Local Planning Authorities’ Development Plan and must be taken into account when planning decisions are taken in any part of London. Planning applications should be determined in accordance with it, unless there are sound planning reasons which indicate otherwise.
This consultation on the draft London Plan concluded on 2 March 2018.
Supporting papers
To download the draft London Plan, please follow the link below.
CIBSE response
CIBSE welcomes this consultation and strongly supports the overall objectives of environmental improvements, carbon reduction, and a healthier city for all.
There was a consistent feedback from CIBSE Members that the length and structure of the Plan make it difficult to identify the key priorities and how they link together. CIBSE made references to linkages in the response and noted the opportunity to create clear, specific and measurable objectives on a number of policies, and highlighted these throughout the response where relevant. This applies in particular to air quality and green infrastructure. CIBSE also noted a number of recommended enhancements to the proposed approach to carbon reductions, both for new and existing buildings.
The Mayor’s intentions are ambitious and their delivery will require robust implementation and monitoring mechanisms. CIBSE recommended to enhance support to local authorities to ensure suitable and consistent implementation at the local level, from the early planning stages through to post-construction conditions.
The Institution fully supports the ambitions of the Plan and believes that meeting these ambitions can deliver benefits and value in the long-term by helping to preserve and enhance natural capital, protecting the health, wellbeing, and productivity of Londoners, and retained the city’s status as attractive to live, work and visit. However, there needs to be a balance between ambition and affordability. This is not a core area of expertise from CIBSE therefore the Institution did not comment in detail on this but made some comments and suggestions where relevant.
The Mayor noted a number of areas where further guidance will be produced, which would be welcome, particularly best practice examples of how the various objectives can be achieved holistically. As one of the leading professional bodies in the built environment CIBSE offered to contribute its expertise to the development of the additional guidance. In particular a number of examples of good practice from the buildings that have won or been entered into the CIBSE Building Performance Awards, which have been running for over a decade and showcase buildings that do not just promise to perform, but deliver high standards of building performance.
To read the full CIBSE response, please follow the link below.