London Plan


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.
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 and again in July 2011. In October 2013, minor alterations were made to the plan to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes in national policy.
The current London Plan of March 2016 was published, and amended, in January 2017. The current plan has a formal end-date of 2036.

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 plan is a spatial development strategy for the Greater London area and has six objectives. The current objectives, as adopted by the 2011 and 2016 revisions, are to ensure that London is:
The objectives were previously updated in 2008 following the Greater London Authority Act 2007:
The original 2004 objectives were:

Policies

The 2016 plan had chapters:
ChapterTitleSummary
1Context and strategyDemography, external forces, quality of life
2PlacesSub-regions, Outer London, Inner London, Central Activities Zone, opportunity areas, intensification areas, town centres
3PeopleHealth, housing, social infrastructure
4EconomyEconomic sectors and workspaces
5Response to climate changeClimate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, waste, contaminated land
6TransportIntegrating transport and development, connectivity
7Living spaces and placesPlace shaping, environment and landscapes, air and noise pollution, emergency planning, Blue Ribbon Network
8Implementation, monitoring, and review-
AnnexesOne to six

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 established 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 2004–08 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 2008–11 sub-regions, each had its own Sub Regional Implementation Framework.
In 2011 the sub-regions were revised again. A smaller Central sub-region was reintroduced, the South sub-region was reintroduced, and all boroughs in the Thames Gateway were returned to the East sub-region. The 2011 sub-regions are maintained in the 2016 London Plan.
Throughout these revisions has been a separately defined Central Activities Zone which includes areas with a very high concentration of metropolitan activities.

Activity centres

The London Plan identifies 200 activity centres in the city. 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; Outer London; Liveability ; 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 this date, modifications are 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.
Alterations made since July 2011 were consolidated in the London Plan of March 2016, which was published and amended in January 2017.
Following the 2016 change of mayor, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has outlined proposals towards creating a new London Plan. The new plan is expected to be released in 2019.
DateDocument
February 2004
October 2005Draft Alterations to the London Plan: Housing Provision Targets Waste and Minerals
December 2005Reviewing the London Plan: Statement of Intent from the Mayor
September 2006Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan
December 2006Early Alterations to the London Plan on Housing provision targets, waste and minerals
February 2008
July 2008Planning for a better London
April 2009A new plan for London: Proposals for the Mayor's London Plan
October 2009The London Plan: Consultation draft replacement plan
December 2009Minor alteration to the consultation draft replacement London Plan
April 2010Crossrail Alterations
July 2011
February 2012Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan
October 2013Revised Early Minor Alterations to the London Plan
March 2015Further Alterations to the London Plan
March 2016