Here is a link to the London plan> http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf
Have uploaded a summary of the London Plan - it isn't complete yet - will continue to finish this tonight and tomorrow - before moving on to a brief look at historical context and the land use for the site. As well as looking at BAPs for the area - to inform the types of habitats to incorporate - and flora/fauna that need to be specifically preserved.
PLAN- Key Info taken from the planning document:
The London Plan:
Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London-
Principal purposes of the plan – to promote economic and
social development, as well as environmental improvement of Greater London.
Must take account of three cross-cutting themes:
-
The health of Londoners.
-
Equality of opportunity.
-
Contribute to sustainable development in the UK.
Strategies:
Agenda for Action on Alcohol, Air Quality*, Alcohol and
Drugs, Ambient
Noise*, Animal Welfare, Anti-social Behaviour,
Biodiversity*, Business
Waste, Childcare, Children and Young People, Climate Change
Adaptation
Strategy, Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy*,
Cocaine,
Culture*, Domestic Violence, Economic Development*,
E-government,
Energy, Food, Health Inequalities, Housing, Municipal
Waste*, Older
People, Refugees, Rough Sleepers, Skills, Tourism,
Transport*,
Water and a Tree & Woodland Framework (those strategies
marked
* are statutory requirements).
The city’s environment, quality of life and historic
character are to be preserved and improved. The most substantial changes I have
made to the London Plan relate to tackling climate change. If the world does
not take rapid and sustained action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then we
risk leaving our children and grandchildren to cope with potentially
catastrophic global warming. The majority of the world’s population will soon
live in cities, so the cities of the world must confront climate change. To
deliver my vision for London we must lead the way in showing how one of the
world’s greatest cities is planning for and adapting to already inevitable
warming, and even more importantly, how we can achieve very substantial
reductions in our emissions of carbon dioxide.
• increasing pollution, damaged environments and chronic
under investment generally and in particular, in the public realm.
London must become a more compact city – office buildings in derelict warehouses – make an
office space a creative hub.
Energy and waste efficient.
Supply of commercial floorspace,
housing, relevant skills, adequate transport and a high quality environment.
These benefits will not flow automatically. In particular,
tackling social exclusion has proved to be the most difficult challenge that
has faced past regeneration initiatives.
A more compact city will enable the more effective use of
scarce resources, including land, energy, transport infrastructure, water and
construction materials. It means in turn that open spaces, rivers and other
water features should be protected and enhanced so that growth can benefit the
city’s breathing spaces. Equally the quality of the existing and newbuilt
environment will need to be enhanced, so that a more dynamic and active city
can also enjoy more attractive surroundings.
Strong, long-term and diverse economic growth, social
inclusivity and fundamental improvements in the environment and use of
resources.
The key policy directions for achieving this objective are:
• improve the quality of Londoners’ lives and the
environment through better designed buildings and public spaces (see also
Chapter 4B)
• achieve targets for new housing, including affordable
housing, that will cater for the needs of London’s existing and future
population and give more people who need it access to homes they can afford
• address the differing needs of London’s diverse population
• promote policies to address health inequalities and the
determinants of health in London and to
improve the health of Londoners
• ensure that overall housing mix meets the needs of larger
households
• promote public safety and security, including design
measures that improve safety in buildings and the public realm
• create a cleaner, healthier and more attractive
environment in all parts of London
• improve the provision of playspace
• improve, by more effective working with partners,
including thecommunity and voluntary sectors, the availability of quality local
services particularly education, health and provision for children and young
people, including childcare facilities
• provide the spatial framework for the Mayor’s Culture
Strategy and enhance the cultural assets
of London, encourage development of new
facilities in new areas, building upon racial and cultural differences that
reinforce London’s diversity.
Strengthen the offer of London’s economy. Sustain and
promote the rapid expansion of retail, leisure and cultural industries,
including the night-time economy, that are key to London’s economic base and are
the most rapidly expanding sectors of expenditure.
• support emerging dynamic sectors of growth and innovation,
such as green and creative industries, and encourage information technology and
research, and the development of business intelligence in London.
• create incentives and opportunities to stimulate the
supply of suitable floorspace in the right locations to accommodate economic
growth, including mixed uses.
Including provision for health, playspace and childcare
facilities and address health inequalities.
strengthen measures to reduce CO2 emissions and the negative
impacts of transport on air quality. of alternatives, including the improvement
of access on foot and cycling and better and safer facilities for pedestrians
and cyclists
• improve the sustainable movement of freight within and
around. London, making more use of water and rail. promote a range of actions
to achieve the wider environmental sustainability of London, including setting
challenging targets for energy use (including appropriate renewables), the
reduction and treatment of waste, the reduction of noise pollution, the
improvement of air quality and the promotion of biodiversity
• manage flood risk and water resource issues at an early
stage, especially in the Thames Gateway region
encourage and support the development of green industries
make the fullest and most sustainable use of resources
including land, water, energy and construction materials
management of strategic views in London, and ensure that
design is considered in the context of climate change
• re-use buildings and brownfield sites, rather than
developing on green space
further strengthening London’s relationship to mainland
Europe. (transport)
Connect to - proposed growth areas in Milton Keynes,
Thames Gateway, London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough and Ashford as important
contributions to dealing with the pressures on land and development in the
mega-city region and sees these as complementary
to the growth strategy for London set out in this plan.
encourages development in east and inner London (and
especially the Thames Gateway). It also supports sustainable growth in
residential areas and the creation of public transport hubs.
heavy emphasis upon self-sufficiency, recycling and the
proximity principle.
‘polycentric’.
east London has been more industrial
in character and, owing to 20th century industrial decline, has
suffered greater problems of low incomeand social disadvantage than most areas
in west London.
More recently a dramatic shift to the east has occurred,
with rapid growth in Tower Hamlets. This shift reflects two other changes of
long-term strategic importance that point to a new spatial emphasis in London.
First, the bulk of recent investment in transport infrastructure has been in
the east – the new A12, Channel Tunnel Rail link, Limehouse link, Jubilee Line
Extension, Docklands Light Railway extension, A13 improvements etc. In
addition, the impact of a unified Europe has altered the geography of trade. In
the past London’s main markets lay to the west and north where the bulk of the
UK’s 60 million people live. Now there is major market potential to the east
and south across the European Union, covering a population over six times as
great.
The current projections confirm that London will continue to
be ‘younger’ than the country as a whole, and suggest that the most significant
increase in children is likely to occur after 2016 rather than before.
High value-added activities such as design, creative and
green industries are projected to be important in those areas of London where
manufacturing has been restructured and remains vibrant.
needs to consume fewer resources and to recycle more. the
promotion of alternatives to car use will help to overcome the polluting
effects of road traffic. Secondly, it will entail managing the impacts and
risks that climate change will bring. This will require more sustainable design
and construction and more efficient use of energy, water, waste and other
resources including renewable energy. It will also mean tackling issues of air
quality, cooling and overheating, and reducing flood risk.
encourage use of public transport
This plan continues to avoid easy but unsustainable options
such as greenfield development, and rigorously protects open spaces and
environmental assets. It contains policies to ensure that buildings are
designed to use energy and other resources more efficiently, both during and
after their construction. To help achieve this, investment will be steered
towards re-using the wasted resource of previously used or underdeveloped sites
in east London and elsewhere. Similarly the spatial implications of the Mayor’s
strategies for biodiversity, waste, air quality, ambient noise and energy are
critical to the sustainable accommodation of growth in London. Sustainable
development runs as a thread through every part of this plan.
A youthful and diverse population is likely to wish to live
in places with higher levels of social and working activity. The move to a
higher density, more urban, intensive, continental lifestyle is already
evident. People are less likely to be content with a sharp separation of work
and home and many may want more mixed environments
The plan should provide a framework of strategic policies
that safeguard and promote the public interest, but should not aspire to
dictate lifestyles.
increased local involvement of the community and voluntary
sector.
developments will make it more economic to ensure the
provision of broadband and new technologies.
heavy demands on education and training resources.
To address this requires an increase in, and more
affordable, childcare provision and increased opportunities for part time
working so more women can access jobs.
Optimising the use of previously developed land and vacant
or underused buildings
• Using a design-led approach to optimise the potential of
sites and improve the quality of life
Taking account of the suitability of sites for mixed use
development and the contribution that development might make to strengthening
local communities and economies including opportunities for local businesses
and for the training of local people
All stakeholders should take a pro-active approach that
engages the community in decisions about its future and builds capacity to
enable the community to take a lead in addressing its own needs wherever
possible.
take account of the community, environmental and other
distinctive local characteristics of each area
• deliver good design, including public realm, open space
and, where appropriate, tall buildings
bring together regeneration, development and transport
proposals with improvements in learning and skills, health, safety, access,
employment, environment and housing.
part-time employment opportunities which can be taken up by
local people
Those who are socially and economically disadvantaged often
live in the worst environments or in areas of worst air quality.
for a diverse range of activities, including office space,
housing, community facilities and regeneration initiatives as well as retail
and leisure.
The suburbs provide a range of employment opportunities,
particularly in services, manufacturing, distribution and other uses requiring
large floor areas. The public sector is a substantial employer within suburban
London, for example in hospitals and schools. Maintaining and enhancing a range
of employment uses in these areas is important to support sustainable communities.
It is estimated that, on average, for every extra 1000 new
residents,
230 new local jobs are created
. There is particular potential for growth in the retail and
leisure sectors as well as local business services. Mixed use redevelopment of
out-moded offices can support selective renewal of the office stock and enhance
the business environment
New activities such as logistics and waste management can
revitalise old industrial areas and provide local jobs.
In order to achieve
sustainable communities the housing stock should have the capacity to meet the
needs of people throughout their life and to offer housing that is affordable.
They must also be supported by adequate social (Chapter 3A) as well as physical
(Chapters 3C and 4)and environmental (Chapter 3D) infrastructure. High quality
design will be critical to maintaining and enhancing the quality of the
suburban environment.
low carbon dioxide emission approach.
In some placestram schemes will also improve accessibility
and many suburban areas will have improved radial access when major projects
such as Crossrail, the East London line extension and Thameslink are completed.
demand for housing coming from population growth, but it is
also to address the historical shortage of affordable housing and the high cost
of housing in London.
compact city, future residential development needs to be
located so as to maximise the use of
scarce land, to conserve energy, reduce harmful emissions and to be within easy
access of jobs, schools, healthcare and other services, shops, and public
transport. The provision of new housing should also help support economic
growth and offer a range of choices for new households, including affordable
housing.
urban – areas with predominantly dense development such as for
example terraced houses, mansion blocks, a mix of different uses, medium
building footprints and typically buildings of two to four storeys, located
within 800 metres walking distance of a District centre or, along main arterial
routes
Boroughs should promote the efficient use of the existing
stock by reducing the number of vacant, unfit and unsatisfactory dwellings.
They should produce and implement comprehensive empty property strategies
including targets for bringing properties back into use. These strategies
should be monitored on an annual basis
and be subject to regular review
offering a range of
housing types and sizes.
for all large residential sites of 5 hectares or more, or
that are capable of accommodating more than 500 dwellings.
Large-scale residential developments present the potential
to provide not only additional housing and related uses, but to create a new
sense of place with its own character and identity where people will want to
live and work. They will be capable of generating a mix of uses and a variety
of activities, including commercial development, such as offices, workspaces,
restaurants, leisure facilities and local shops and services.
The pattern and scale of development should be designed to
integrated land use with movement. The land uses with the highest levels of
activity should be located close to the existing or proposed areas of highest
public transport accessibility and should have the highest densities and
greatest mix of uses
social housing – housing provided by a landlord where access
is on the basis of housing need, and rents are no higher than target rents set
by the government for housing association and local authority rents
• intermediate housing – sub-market housing which is above
target rents, but is substantially below open market levels and is affordable
by households on incomes of between £16,900 pa and £52,500 with a monitoring
midpoint of £35,600 pa (as at February 2007 to be reviewed annually to reflect
changes in lower quartile house prices). This category can include shared
ownership and other sub-market rent provision and key worker housing which
meets this criterion
• market housing – owner-occupied and private rented
housing, which does not meet the affordability and access criteria for social
housing or intermediate housing.
Mixed-use development can create greater use of buildings
and areas throughout the day and night, promote more sustainable forms of development
and reduce the need to travel.
inclusive design and local distinctiveness
The provision of relevant facilities, good public transport,
environments that encourage walking and cycling, particularly in areas of low
car ownership, skills development opportunities, and addressing other barriers
to work, including childcare, that can help people secure a route out of
poverty are essential to tackling discrimination, exclusion and health
inequalities.
Disabled people continue to be excluded from many mainstream
activities that other Londoners take for granted. Many lose out when it comes to
work, housing, leisure, health and social care and are frequently denied the
opportunity to participate fully as equal citizens. All too often, the design
of the built environment and transport either ignores the needs of disabled
people and creates barriers to inclusion or provides access in a segregated and separate way, making
disabled people unnecessarily dependent on others.
basic facilities such
as accessible places to meet, public toilets and street furniture were greater and if concerns over safety and
security were more transparently addressed.
London, one of the world’s richest cities, has one of the
biggest populations of deprived children in the developed world, many of them
from ethnic minorities
The provision of high quality accessible and affordable
childcare, play, leisure, cultural, health, social care and educational
facilities across London is undoubtedly a determinant of children’s future life
chances. Lack of these facilities, combined with inadequate provision of safe
playspaces close to home, restrict children’s activities and affect their
physical and mental development.
Reliable, safe and cheap public transport, together with a
network of safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle routes to link home with
facilities in the local area, has a vital role to play. The provision of
affordable youth, sports and leisure facilities has been shown statistically to
be effective in reducing antisocial behaviour.
need for social infrastructure and community facilities in
their area, and ensure that they are capable of being met wherever possible.
These needs include primary healthcare facilities, children’s play and
recreation facilities, services for young people, older people and disabled
people, as well as libraries, sports and
leisure facilities, open space, schools, nurseries and other childcare
provision, training facilities, fire and policing facilities, community halls,
meeting rooms, places of worship, public toilets, facilities for cyclists,
convenience shops, banking facilities and post offices
promote better health across London’s population and to the
dual roles of health in terms of the benefits of healthcare and health as an
important economic sector.
Boroughs may also wish to consider measures to promote land
ownership and long-term community involvement in the ownership and management
of public and other facilities, in line with the recognition of the advantages
of asset-based community regeneration.
seek a significant increment to current stock through
changes of use and development of vacant brownfield sites
accessibility to the local workforce, public transport,
walking and cycling and where appropriate, freight movement
• quality and fitness for purpose of sites
• the need for strategic and local provision for waste management,
transport facilities, logistics and wholesale markets within London and the
wider city region
maximise use of rail and water based infrastructure.
London sustainable Food Hub. The Mayor seeks to retain an
efficient wholesale market function to meet London’s long term needs while
ensuring that London’s overall development capacity is also used efficiently.
Redevelopment of any of the markets should not compromise opportunities to
consolidate composite wholesale market functions to meet London’s long term
wholesaling needs at Western International, New Covent Garden and New
Spitalfields
They include e-business related activities and an effective
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the creative
industries, and the environmental industries. Tourism is also a key growth
industry
Encourage establishment of new foci for innovation and
research excellence.
sites for synergy between business and research and academic
institutions, in line with strategic
office policy.
should identify and support the development of clusters of
creative industries and related activities and environments
Cultural Quarters should be encouraged within identified
priority regeneration areas and town centres
Creative industries and the new leisure infrastructure,
including bars, restaurants and clubs, contribute to high value evening and
late-night economies in parts of town centres and central London. Chapter 3D
outlines a co-ordinated planning and management framework to support the
24-hour economy and resolve tensions with other uses.
CCHP and renewable fuels
measures that promote greater use of low carbon technologies
so that CO2 and other contributors to global warming are reduced
• high levels of growth in the Thames Gateway by substantial
new and improved transport infrastructure. Opportunity Areas and Areas for
Intensification, particularly in east London, should be supported by improved public transport
Sustainable means of travel, particularly walking, cycling,
the use of buses and water transport (see Chapter 4C), should also be supported
through the development of a more compact city, high quality, accessible public
spaces and improved local facilities and services. The concentration of
development in areas that have (or will have) good public transport, cycling
and walking provision should encourage a reduction in dependence on the private
car. The Mayor supports the use of car clubs and car free or virtually car free
development where appropriate, taking account of the need for disabled parking
wider use of hydrogen and lower carbon forms of transport fuels
Transport policies and proposals should match the spatial
development policies in this plan, for example:
• high levels of growth in the Thames Gateway will depend
upon substantial new and improved infrastructure to stimulate and facilitate
investment. In addition to Crossrail 1, DLR extensions and capacity
enhancements, busway transits and other public transport improvements, this
includes new river crossings inside and outside London, the completion of the
Channel Tunnel Rail Link and
substantially increased capacity at airports and ports in the eastern half of
the wider southeast metropolitan area
improve links between London and the surrounding regions
Strategic transport investments, such as new runways and
terminals, port expansion and new major
roads and railways, have enormous impacts upon development and the environment.
Attention needs to be taken of European biodiversity areas to avoid any adverse
impacts
the Mayor will consider the needand practicality of
identifying sites in east London for an additionalheliport to support London’s
economy.
improve the integration, reliability, safety, quality,
accessibility, frequency, attractiveness and environmental performance of the
existing public transport system.
National rail services are often too unreliable and
infrequent to meet
London’s needs. London needs a high frequency, reliable
national rail network for London that is integrated with the Underground’s
travel information and fares
facilitating access from one radial route to another without
the need to travel via the Central Activities Zone;
TRANSPORT -
an extension from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock via Barking Riverside. The
extension could be completed by 2017.
The Mayor
supports new Thames river crossings in east London. These will achieve regeneration and
development benefits and should
incorporate high environmental standards
East London’s
development has been constrained by its poor connections across the Thames,
among other factors. Improving access for people, goods and services between
the north and south of the Thames is a key priority in the regeneration and development
of the Thames Gateway region. Three river crossings are identified in the
Mayor’s Transport Strategy and would, over the plan period, make a vital
contribution to the regeneration of the Thames Gateway.
They are:
• a Woolwich
rail crossing through an extension of the Docklands Light Railway, which is due
for completion in 2009
• a Thames
Gateway bridge between Beckton and Thamesmead
• a crossing
providing for local links between Silvertown and North Greenwich, for which
plans will be developed, subject to funding.
• contribute
to London’s economic regeneration and development
• not
increase the net traffic capacity of the corridor unless essential to
regeneration
• provide a
net benefit to London’s environment
• improve
safety for all users
• improve
conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, disabled people, public transport,
freight and business
• integrate
with local and strategic land use planning policies.
Parking
plan for
improving the safety and security of the pedestrian environment through
appropriate lighting levels, and security measures such as CCTV
ensure that
Thames-side developments incorporate provision for a riverside walkway in
accordance with Countryside Agency standards
• ensure that
the pedestrian environment is accessible to disabled people identify and
implement high quality, direct, cycling routes, where possible segregated from
motorised traffic, giving access to public transport nodes, town centres and
key land uses
• ensure that
routes are segregated from pedestrians as far as practicable, but are not
isolated
high quality,
connected pedestrian environment take account of the needs of business for
delivery and servicing movements re-allocate space to provide for cycle parking
All large
developments should provide for appropriate taxi ranks and coach/bus
parking/stands. Appropriate provision should also be made for cycle and
motorcycle parking.
Servicing
facilities and the provision of storage, handling and modal transfer facilities
to cater for road, rail and water-borne goods are an important part of the
distribution chain.
The Thames
provides significant opportunities for sustainable freight access into the
heart of the capital. The Thames is particularly suited to the transport of
bulk materials, such as waste and aggregates. There is also potential for
extending freight operations on the Lee Navigation and Grand Union canals. A
collaborative approach is needed across London to focus, in particular, on
encouraging new facilities and protecting, through the planning system,
essential existing facilities supporting water-borne freight movement.
Healthy town
centres with a mixture of uses, including residential, employment, libraries, primary
health care centres, educational establishments, bars, restaurants, cinemas and
other leisure activities, offer attractive focal points for their surrounding
communities. Town centres are also more sustainable than out of centre shopping
developments, which generate significant traffic volumes but tend to be less
accessible for many people, particularly Londoners without access to private transport.
A spread of successful town centres across London will underpin a balanced
‘polycentric’ structure promoted by the European Spatial Development
Perspective
Improvements
in e-infrastructure are required to enable access for all communities. make
street and farmers’ markets important in meeting dietary requirements as well as enhancing
choice in, and vitality of, town centres.
London’s
cultural and arts facilities as visitor attractions and foster their contribution
to both local regeneration and London’s global economic offer.
designate and
develop Cultural Quarters
where
appropriate, support evening and night-time entertainment activities in central
London, City fringe areas and town centres and where appropriate manage their
impact through policies such as Entertainment Management Zones
• encourage
‘Percent for Art’ schemes and encourage arts and cultural facilities in major
mixed-use developments.
Designation,
development and management of cultural quarters can help address the need for
affordable workspace for creative industries,
provide flexible live/work space, encourage clusters of activity and
provide a trigger for local regeneration. Cultural and creative activities are sometimes
priced out of traditional areas. Where they contribute to wider regeneration
and mixed-use policies, they should be sustained by the planning system and
supported by wider economic and cultural development initiatives. Cheaper premises
in or on the edge of town centres are especially suitable, and there is considerable
potential for this in areas of East London (in particular the Lower Lea Valley,
Royal Docks, Greenwich Riverside, Deptford Creek and Woolwich Arsenal) as part of
wider regeneration initiatives.
Cultural
facilities such as local theatres, tourist attractions and libraries are
vitally important to all London’s town centres and central London. They are
particularly valuable as a means of engaging younger people in wider community
activity. However, parts of suburban London, especially in the east, lack such
facilities
provide staff
accommodation as part of hotel development and re-development and encourage
better training for staff to improve the attractiveness of employment in the
sector.
London’s open
spaces include green spaces, such as parks, allotments, commons, woodlands,
natural habitats, recreation grounds, playing fields, agricultural land, burial
grounds, amenity space, children’s play areas, including hard surfaced
playgrounds, and accessible countryside in the urban fringe. Civic spaces, such
as squares, piazzas and market squares also form part of the open space network.
The variety and richness of London’s open spaces, that include historic parks
and gardens,
East London
Green Grid RESEARCH
Green Chains
are important to London’s open space network, recreation and biodiversity. They
consist of footpaths and the open spaces that they link, which are accessible
to the public. Because of their Londonwide significance, the open spaces and
the links within a Green Chain should be designated as MOL. (Metropolitan Open
Land).
Metropolitan
Parks 60 hectares 3.2 kilometres Large areas of open space that provide a
similar range of benefits to Regional Parks and offer a combination of facilities
and features at the sub-regional level, are
readily accessible by public transport and are managed to meet best practice
quality standards.
Other
innovative initiatives, such as roof terraces, wildlife gardens, play space
created as a result of traffic calming measures, and better use of amenity
space around housing estates, should be encouraged.
Where appropriate,
measures may include creating, enhancing and managing wildlife habitat and
natural landscape and improving access to nature.
BAP
Where
development is proposed which would affect a site of importance for nature
conservation or important species, the approach should be to seek to avoid
adverse impact on the species or nature conservation value of the site, and if
that is not possible, to minimise such impact and seek mitigation of any
residual impacts.
Priority
should be given to connecting fragmented habitat and increasing the size of
habitat areas with a view to increasing species’ resilience to climate change.
Green
Corridors are relatively continuous areas of open space that run through
built-up areas and provide an extension to the habitats of the sites they join.
They may be the verges alongside road and rail routes or waterways or a series
of linked open spaces. Green Corridors may not be accessible to the public, but
may contribute to landscape quality as well as biodiversity
Planning
applications should give full consideration to the effects, both direct and
indirect, of development upon biodiversity, wildlife habitat and geology.
Indirect effects include increased use and disturbance, hydrological changes,
level of noise, pollution, shading and lighting disturbance.
enhancing or
creating new wildlife habitats and opening up access to existing habitats
