Planning service

The Planning Service works with local authorities and London's utilities to improve how infrastructure is planned in London, with a focus on growth areas identified in the London Plan. Our objective is to ensure infrastructure provision is considered as early as possible in the planning process.

Planning infrastructure in advance has the potential to unlock housing faster, improve design outcomes and drive down disruption and cost, whilst achieving Mayoral objectives for ‘good growth’ and realisation of other priorities related to decarbonisation and resilience.

Key aspects of the service include facilitating early engagement, providing access to expert advice, highlighting best practice and using data and other tools to support decision making.

Strategies we develop inform investment decisions of utility companies and act as an evidence base to inform local planning processes and development management.

We are seeking to establish consistent approaches and tools to support the development of infrastructure strategies and delivery plans that can be applied in other growth areas. In 2020 we partnered with the Royal Town Planning Institute to develop a handbook for local authorities involved in planning utilities infrastructure which provides guidance and support.

A focus of our current work programme is supporting infrastructure planning in the Isle of Dogs in partnership with London Borough of Tower Hamlets.