OA planning

There are many ways to take OAs forward. This depends on the circumstances and needs of each OA. The Mayor may collaborate with boroughs to prepare Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks (OAPFs). OAPFs can be considered as a first step towards preparing plans for OAs.

Boroughs may also prepare planning policy documents, such as Area Action Plans (AAPs) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), that plan for some or all of an OA. Borough may also incorporate OA-specific policies in their Local Plan to set out how they will encourage and deliver the growth potential of an OA.

Whichever model is used, OAs must be planned in a collaborative way with local communities and stakeholders, and be based on an understanding of the existing character and context of an area. Delivery of the full potential of an OA requires all stakeholders to work together to drive the right sort of development and to ensure infrastructure is planned properly.

In practice, this can work in several ways, including:

• early engagement and consultation with local communities
• partnerships between GLA and boroughs
• joint GLA and borough project teams
• secondments both to and from the GLA
• the use of 'in-house' expertise
• the appointment of consultants.

The Mayor provides support and leadership to ensure OAs deliver their growth potential for Londoners. He promotes and champions the areas as key locations for investment, and can intervene where required so that an ambitious, imaginative and inclusive approach is taken to accelerate and realise their growth and development.

Where OAs cross multiple borough boundaries, the Mayor can help to develop effective cross-boundary working arrangements to help reach the full potential of the growth corridors in London.

See Policy SD1 in the London Plan for a full description of the Mayor's role in OAs.

Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), through their Local Plan and planning decisions, should clearly set out how they will encourage and deliver the growth potential of OAs and support development that create job opportunities and housing choice for Londoners. Using the indicative capacity figures in the London Plan as a starting point, LPAs should test and establish the capacity for growth in OAs before setting out clear plans for its delivery.

See Policy SD1 in the London Plan for a full description of the LPAs in OAs.