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Comment: A new plan for London
Evening Standard10.07.08
The tone of Boris Johnson's proposed changes to the London Plan, the framework governing many aspects of the boroughs' planning policies, is in many ways similar to that of his predecessor, Ken Livingstone. But there are real differences: the Mayor's comments on the Plan, published today, show a readiness to look at the problems faced by the suburbs. His changes will now go out to consultation.
He wants council planners to impose on major retail schemes a requirement to include affordable small shop units. He also wants new tall buildings restricted to places where there are already clusters of them. But it is in his pledges to leave as many planning decisions as possible to councils that he differs most from Mr Livingstone. Mr Johnson does not focus unduly on the "predict and provide" mantra that London may have to accommodate an extra 700,000 people by
2026. Instead he speaks of ensuring that development is not at the expense of the city's unique character. He wants the boroughs, which are closer than the Mayor to the views of their residents, to strike the balance between protecting quality of life and accommodating population increases.
Some, like Croydon and much of the Thames Gateway area, want to grow and attract new employers; others areas may decide the strain on existing infrastructure is too great. In other words, development must go to the parts of London where it is welcome, not imposed on areas where green space, roads and schools are already under intense pressure.
The difficult question of providing more affordable housing has been deferred until later in the year. Indeed, much of the plan is about aspiration rather than measurable goals. The aspirations are admirable but we need to know when and how they are going to be realised.
