Planning News
London
June 2015
New Cities and Local Government
Devolution Bill
Chancellor George Osborne announced in
mid-May that the Queen’s Speech would
include the Cities and Local Government
Devolution Bill (see explanatory notes),
to “enable a radical new model” of city
government. The Bill, now introduced in
Parliament, will see central government
hand power from the centre to cities
across the country. In London, this is
expected to be through the strengthening
of Local Enterprise Partnerships
(LEPs), Enterprise Zones and mayoral
development orders. In conjunction with
these moves, the Chancellor intends to
encourage the adoption of a mayoral
model of governance - as seen in London
and Manchester - elsewhere in the
country. This is with the explicit intention
of building other cities up and, “…not to
pull London down”.
The Chancellor’s ‘long term economic
plan for London’, as announced in
February this year, provided further
detail on how an increase in mayoral
responsibility would be delivered, again
linking the devolution of power in London
to a wider, national, programme.
Housing Bill: Right to Build,
Right to Buy, and ‘Streamlining’
Neighbourhood planning
The Housing Bill, also included in the
Queen’s Speech, will include extending the
Right to Buy. Earlier in May, the London
Assembly passed a motion calling on the
Mayor to, “commission an assessment of
the implications of extending Right to Buy
to Housing Association tenants and present
the evidence to the Housing Committee for
scrutiny”.
Proposed minor amendments
to FALP on housing and parking
standards
Boris publishes Social
Infrastructure Supplementary
Planning Guidance (SPG)
The Mayor of London has published the
GLA‘s Social Infrastructure SPG, to help
engagement in development or planmaking, and aid understanding of the
quantity and types of social infrastructure
needed to support growth in London.
The new guidance adds to the GLA’s
long list of SPG publications issued
to date; forming part of the ‘Shaping
Neighbourhoods’ portfolio of SPGs
(comprising ‘Character and Context’,
‘Play and Informal Recreation’ and
‘Accessible London: achieving an inclusive
environment’).
Public housing viability studies
proposed by Royal Borough of
Greenwich
Until 22 June, Greenwich Council
is consulting on a draft local list of
requirements for validating planning
applications, which includes a “landmark
council planning policy” requirement
that developers “will have to provide a
fully public viability study for residential
developments that are proposing less than
35 per cent affordable homes”.
This follows a ruling last year at a Tribunal
that it was in the public interest to make
less commercially sensitive information in
a viability assessment publically available.
RB Greenwich believes it is the first (LPA)
to take this proposed approach. If adopted,
the requirement will be significant for
many residential developers in Greenwich,
given that the average affordable housing
contribution is less than 35 per cent, and
the revised validation list – if introduced could see other authorities follow suit.
Quote of the month:
“
“We welcome the Chancellor’s focus
on devolving powers to cities. The
government needs to continue to
work with the Mayor of London to
ensure the capital has the powers it
needs – particularly over housing and
transport”
“
Headline news
alterations to the London Plan 2015 that
cover standards for housing and parking.
The draft minor alterations have been
prepared to bring the London Plan in line
with new national housing standards and
car parking policy.
John Dickie of London First responds
to the Chancellor’s speech on city
devolution
One London Together: Tessa Jowell
pledges new agency to build homes
for Londoners
Tessa Jowell has launched her campaign
for election as London Mayor, speaking of
creating “One London” using measures
such as a new housing agency that would
be based on the ‘delivery partner’ model
used to build the Olympic Park. She said:
“I will establish Homes for Londoners – a
housing equivalent of Transport for London
– led by a home’s commissioner. It will act
as a developer for homes that are either
built with subsidy or on public sector land.”
The GLA has announced two 6 week public
consultations, closing on 22 June, on minor
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