RE:UK response to the draft London Plan consultation

We have responded to the GLA’s consultation on the draft London Plan, which sets out how the capital will deliver housing, employment space and infrastructure over the coming years. As one of the first of a new generation of Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs), the London Plan has an opportunity to set a positive precedent for ambitious, pro-growth strategic planning across the country. We welcome efforts to streamline the Plan, alongside stronger recognition of industrial and logistics land needs and a dedicated policy for data centres. However, we believe the Plan must be more ambitious in addressing London’s housing needs, supporting development viability and setting out a clear strategy for future growth.

Our key asks

We recommend that the GLA:

• Raises housing ambitions and sets out a clear pathway to delivery, bringing targets closer to the Government’s assessed need and explaining how additional housing capacity can be unlocked.
• Tests the cumulative impact of planning policy costs on viability, including affordable housing requirements, sustainability standards, infrastructure contributions and other obligations across different locations and development models.
• Strengthens the link between homes, jobs and infrastructure, recognising opportunities to deliver housing around well-connected stations, on suitable public land and through estate regeneration, while addressing the infrastructure needed to support growth.
• Aligns the Plan more clearly with national planning policy, distinguishing strategic planning decisions from technical matters already covered by national standards and clarifying the approach to housing need, Green Belt and growth around well-connected railway stations.
• Supports London’s economic growth through a strategic approach to employment land, protecting and optimising industrial and logistics space, recognising the needs of different business activities and planning for data centres alongside the necessary power and fibre infrastructure.