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Policy 4.5 London's visitor infrastructure
Policy
Strategic
A The Mayor will, and boroughs and relevant stakeholders should:
a support London’s visitor economy and stimulate its growth, taking into account the needs of business as well as leisure visitors and seeking to improve the range and quality of provision especially in outer London
b seek to achieve 40,000 net additional hotel bedrooms by 2036, of which at least 10 per cent[1] should be wheelchair accessible
c ensure that new visitor accommodation is in appropriate locations:
- beyond the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) it should be focussed in town centres and opportunity and intensification areas, where there is good public transport access to central London and international and national transport termini
- within the CAZ strategically important hotel provision should be focussed on its opportunity areas, with smaller scale provision in CAZ fringe locations with good public transport. Further intensification of provision in areas of existing concentration should be resisted, except where this will not compromise local amenity or the balance of local land uses
- It may be appropriate to locate visitor accommodation related to major visitor attractions of sub-regional or greater significance in locations other than those set out in this paragraph, but only where it can be shown that no suitable site in one of these locations exists and that there is a clear link in scale, nature and location (particularly demonstrating sufficient proximity to minimise the overall need to travel and maximise walking and cycling) between the accommodation and the attraction being served.
d support provision for business visitors, including high quality, large scale convention facilities in or around the CAZ
e recognise the need for apart-hotels in the context of the broader policies of this Plan.
f promote, enhance and protect the special characteristics of major clusters of visitor attractions including those identified in Strategic Cultural Areas in Map 4.2.
Map 4.2 London’s Strategic Cultural Areas
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Planning decisions
B Developments should:
a contribute towards the hotel provision target and ensure that at least 10 per cent of bedrooms are wheelchair accessible
b be consistent with the strategic location principles set out above
c not result in the loss of strategically important hotel capacity[2]
LDF preparation
C LDFs should:
a seek to ensure that all new visitor accommodation meets the highest standards of accessibility and inclusion and encourage applicants to submit an accessibility management plan with their proposals
b promote high quality design of new visitor accommodation so that it may be accredited by the National Quality Assurance Scheme
c identify opportunities for renovation of the existing visitor accommodation stock
d promote and facilitate development of a range of visitor accommodation, such as hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, self-catering facilities, youth hostels and camping and caravan sites
e support and encourage development of good quality budget category hotels, especially in outer London.
[1] Grant Thornton. Accessible Hotels in London. GLA, 2010
[2] Strategically important hotel capacity will depend on local circumstances, but typically comprises development exceeding 100,000 m2 in the City, 20,000 m2 in Central London and 15,000 m2 outside Central London.
Supporting text
4.25 Visitors play an important part in the city’s economy. In 2012, London attracted nearly 28 million overnight visitors, comprising 16 million from overseas and 12 million from the UK[1]. A significant number of these are for business purposes. The capital also received 297 million day visitors a year[2]. Together they helped to support 253,000 jobs, nearly 5.5 per cent of the total employment for London.
4.26 The Mayor’s Tourism Vision[3] sets out key objectives to develop the quality of accommodation; enhance visitor perceptions of value for money and improve the inclusivity and accessibility of the visitor experience. To ensure adequate hotel provision this Plan sets a target of 40,000 net additional hotel rooms by 2036[4], recognising that over this period London may ‘mature’ as a visitor destination leading to a reduction in historic growth rates. This trend will be monitored closely.
4.27 Improving the availability of hotel accommodation that is genuinely accessible to all is a particular priority and at least 10 per cent of new provision should be wheelchair accessible. The Mayor has prepared guidance on accessible hotel accommodation and on the implementation of accessibility management plans[5].
4.28 With their rich heritage and unique offers, the strategic cultural areas (see Map 4.2 and paragraph 4.33) are identified as London’s major clusters of visitor attractions. Other locations such as outer London town centres and especially those identified in Policy 2.16 with specialist strengths in leisure/tourism, should play an increasing role in provision for visitors[6] in order to extend the benefits of tourism across the capital and reduce pressures on central London. For example, options for a cruise liner terminal in an appropriate location such as Greenwich Peninsula, and capturing the regeneration benefits of strategic sporting attractions, should be explored. There is scope to develop London’s historic environment and natural landscape as visitor attractions, working with the new London and Partners agency established to promote the capital, and with other partners to take a more coordinated approach to developing and marketing groups of outer London attractions.
4.29 Generally, development of visitor accommodation and other ancillary provision related to major visitor attractions should support the principles of Policy 4.5Ac. However, there may be exceptional circumstances where accommodation and other ancillary provision related to a major visitor attraction may be justifiable. Such exceptions should only be permitted where it can be shown that no site complying with Policy 4.5Ac exists, and where clear links between the attraction and the proposed accommodation can be demonstrated in terms of scale, nature and location. Any proposal of this kind would have to be justified in terms of the other policies in this Plan, particularly the strong support for the Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in policies 7.16 and 7.17 where these are applicable.
4.30 Providing a world-class experience is vital to encouraging repeat visitors and the quality of London’s visitor accommodation is central to this. Accommodation providers are encouraged to join national quality assurance schemes[7] and to extend the range of products to meet customer expectations at all levels including budget provision such as bed and breakfast, youth hostels, and camping and caravan sites. In considering proposals for apart-hotels, boroughs should take particular account of their potential impacts on housing capacity. The Mayor also supports a more sustainable approach to the way the tourism industry operates in London, seeking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, water use and waste generation through his Green Tourism for London programme[8], through his public London cycle hire scheme, and through the Legible London project, making it easier for visitors to find their way on foot.
4.31 Enhancing provision for business visitors is a Mayoral priority and requires improvements not just to the quality of accommodation but also to the wider range of services required by this section of the market, including capacity for high quality, large-scale convention centre functions in or around the CAZ.
[1] International Passenger Survey (IPS) and Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS). Both figures include business visitors.
[2] Great Britain Day Visitor Survey 2011 (note definition is wider than previous LDA survey). For further details see GLA Economics, Current Issues Note 38. The Great Britain Day Visitor Survey 2011 – a London analysis. GLA, 2012
[3] Mayor of London. London Tourism Vision 2006 – 2016. LDA, 2006 and Mayor of London. London Tourism Action Plan 2009-2013. LDA, 2009
[4] GLA Economics, Understanding the demand for and supply of visitor accommodation in London to 2036, GLA, 2013
[5] Mayor of London. Town Centres Supplementary Planning Guidance, GLA 2014
[6] London Assembly Report. Tourism in Outer London. London Assembly, 2006
[7] Information about the Quality Assessment Scheme can be found at http://www.qualityintourism.com/asp/letsgetassessed.asp
[8] Green Tourism for London, launched by the LDA and with the support of Visit London, is the new scheme for hotels, guesthouses, attractions and venues in the capital.
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