London Plan density policy (4)

Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 21 June 2019.

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Photo of Steve O'Connell Steve O'Connell Conservative

The policies in your draft London Plan do not set out a clear and systematic approach to assess development proposals that reflect site specific circumstances. Your answer to Question 2019/8976 indicated that you are preparing detailed Supplementary Planning Guidance to accompany the Plan that will provide additional detail on how to effectively optimise the capacity of sites by following the design-led-approach.

If that is the case does it not prove that Policy D6:

1 Does not meet the requirements of NPPF para 16 d);

2 If the Supplementary Planning Guidance is not published at the same time as the New London Plan, how will applicants provide proposals that meet the policy if there is no available guidance between publication of the New London Plan and publication of the Supplementary Planning Guidance;

3 For London Boroughs to incorporate these requirements in their local plans assumes that they are reviewing their local plans in step with the review of the London Plan and that is not necessarily the case?

Photo of Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan Mayor of London

In response to your first question, my answer is ‘no’, as Policy D6 does meet the requirements of NPPF para 16d. I consider the policies of my Plan to be clearly written and easy to follow. In response to your second question, it is my intention to publish the guidance alongside the plan. However, the supplementary planning guidance is not needed to implement the policy.

It is unavoidable that the London Plan and borough local plans are ‘out of sync’ for periods of time, as a result of the periodic production cycle of both. However, it’s worth noting that government requires local plans to be refreshed every 5 years. Moreover, the planning system provides for greatest weight to be awarded to the newest development plan where there is a conflict with existing local plan policy. Where a Local Plan has not yet incorporated my new approach, my policy can be applied directly.