Recession calls for flexible planning policies
Council leader supports move to simplify the planning regime
Flexible planning policies are essential if the capital is to respond effectively to the economic downturn, Wandsworth Council leader Edward Lister has warned.
The Mayor has announced a full review of the London Plan. The document provides the statutory framework for local authorities' own plans.
Cllr Lister said:
"Wandsworth has always tried to remove the obstacles which stand in the way of development. It's not about how many new targets we can impose – but how we can actually get the right things built.
"In a recession this pragmatic approach is even more critical. We support the Mayor's move away from rigid housing targets. In Wandsworth town centre we have used this flexibility to negotiate £41m of traffic and transport improvements from the developer of the Ram Brewery site. These will bring economic benefits to the whole area.
"The Nine Elms area of north Battersea is now attracting worldwide interest with major investors acquiring key sites and the US Embassy set to relocate here. With imaginative planning policies we have the potential to create a new mixed use quarter with high quality residential neighbourhoods alongside a new international business district.
"If Nine Elms is to deliver new homes and jobs on the scale that we envisage it will need vastly improved transport connections. This will be a key test for any proposed new development in the area.
"The Mayor is updating the London Plan for today's challenging economic climate. We want Wandsworth to retain its edge. Our borough has many advantages for potential investors – not least its low council tax, central location and highly trained workforce.
“We will continue to review our planning polices in the light of the Mayor's new thinking so that they remain relevant to changing circumstances."
The Mayor has said he wants to remove the insistence on 50 per cent affordable housing targets, encourage high quality house-building and re-focus the plan on the development of a diverse economy to help drive the growth of all types of enterprises with different workspace needs.
You can view the Mayor's statement at www.london.gov.uk
