The London Plan
The London Plan is the Mayor of London's strategic plan for the development and growth of Greater London. It sets out policies to manage the key planning issues facing London as a whole, such as where new houses, shops and industry should be located, and how to improve the transport system and protect and improve London's most important parks and open spaces.
The London Plan is:
- The overall strategic plan for London setting out an integrated economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of London over the next 20-25 years.
- The document brings together the geographic and locational (although not site specific) aspects of the Mayor's other strategies - including those dealing with; transport, economic development, housing, culture, social and environmental and climate change issues.
- The framework for the development and use of land in London, linking in improvements to infrastructure, setting out proposals for implementation, coordination and resourcing.
- provides the Londonwide context within which individual boroughs must set their local planning policies.
- sets the policy framework for the Mayor's involvement in major planning decisions in London.
Under the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 every London borough's development plan consists of:
This means that the council, when determining planning applications, needs to have regard to the policies of the London Plan, in addition to its own Unitary Development Plan. Lambeth's local development plan must also be in general conformity with the London Plan to make sure that the council's policies are broadly consistent with the Mayor's overall vision and policies for Greater London.
The first version of the London Plan was published in 2004. Following this, two sets of alterations were made to the document, resulting in the publication of the Plan (consolidated with alterations since 2004) in February 2008. The mayor has now undertaken a review of the 2008 version and, following a period of consultation and an examination in public, the Mayor formally published the new London Plan in July 2011. This replaces the 2008 version. It is the policies in this document that form part of the development plan for Greater London, and which should be taken into account in taking relevant planning decisions such as determining planning applications.