London Plan Review Project No.4 – Local Character and Density

Project Brief No.4: London Plan Review Local Character and Density

1. Project Summary

The Mayor of London has instructed a full review of the London Plan. In order to inform Historic England’s response to this important document we are commissioning a number of independent strategic reports. Of particular concern to Historic England is the capacity of some of London’s more sensitive historic areas to accommodate substantial housing growth without harm to their heritage significance and character.

The aim of the proposed project is to undertake a structured review of different built character types where significant growth is likely to be focused, to contribute to the debate about how growth in London can best be delivered. London’s built character types vary and are often multi-faceted. These character types will potentially encompass town centres, suburbs, existing and former industrial areas, greenbelt settlements, and may fall within the City Fringe and/or Central Activities Zone.

The project will identify how these built character types are defined and applied through the planning system and will evaluate how these should integrate projected growth. In our experience, planning for growth at a regional or borough level is essentially broad brushed and based around infrastructure opportunities, large scale development opportunities and PTAL rates. This does not take into account local character and the requirement for new development to be sustainable in historic/local character terms as defined by the NPPF. The project will explore how regional and local planning can be improved to better identify and understand character areas and there capacity for change. The Project will identify how new development and economic growth can be implemented and special character enhanced. This will entail identifying mechanisms for assessing character while evaluating growth opportunities. This can include considering how more detailed character analysis undertaken at Area Action Plan, or masterplanning level, can be integrated into strategic London specific planning policies, and decision making tools.

The project report will sit alongside two related, but self-contained, reports. The other reports will analyse how existing London Plan policies are applied and how these affect local character. The second report will provide an audit of characterisation reports and historic environment management tools throughout the London Boroughs. It is envisaged that the reports will be published together and inform debate about how to tackle sustainable growth in the built environment. This debate will inform Historic England’s response to the London Plan.

2. Background

The background to the project is the consultation on the Draft London Plan. The London Plan (legally called a Spatial Development Strategy) is currently the only regional plan in England, and provides the strategic planning f...

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