Policy 1.1 Delivering the strategic vision and objectives for London

Strategic

A Growth and change in London will be managed in order to realise the Mayor’s vision for London’s sustainable development to 2036 set out in paragraph 1.48 and his commitment to ensuring all Londoners enjoy a good, and improving quality of life sustainable over the life of this Plan and into the future.

B Growth will be supported and managed across all parts of London to ensure it takes place within the current boundaries of Greater London without:

a encroaching on the Green Belt, or on London’s protected open spaces

b having unacceptable Impacts on the environment

The development of east London will be a particular priority to address existing need for development, regeneration and promotion of social and economic convergence with other parts of London and as the location of the largest opportunities for new homes and jobs.

C Other mayoral plans and strategies, decisions on development proposals and investment priorities, and borough DPDs and development decisions should aim to realise the objectives set out in paragraph 1.53 so that London should be:

a a city that meets the challenges of economic and population growth

b an internationally competitive and successful city

c a city of diverse, strong, secure and accessible neighbourhoods

d a city that delights the senses

e a city that becomes a world leader in improving the environment

f a city where it is easy, safe and convenient for everyone to access jobs, opportunities and facilities.

1.59 The content of policies in this Plan is split between:

• strategic: strategically important statements of Mayoral policy
• planning decisions: policies that will be applied by the Mayor and other planning authorities in deciding planning applications
• LDF preparation: advice to boroughs in preparing their Local Development Frameworks (what the NPPF terms “local plans”) and to those preparing neighbourhood plans. This falls into two categories. First, areas of flexibility, where authorities/neighbourhoods may want to consider how its particular circumstances might differ from those of London overall. Secondly, areas where it will be necessary for boroughs/neighbourhoods to carry out more detailed analyses of local circumstances on which to base policies for local use in determining planning applications.

1.60 This three part distinction is intended to make the Plan easier to use. As with the Plan itself, policies should be taken as a whole, and not their individual parts. ‘Planning decisions’ policies should be reflected in LDFs and ‘LDF preparation’ policies should inform planning decisions, with ‘strategic policy’ providing the context for both. The Mayor will take all three categorisations into account in taking decisions on strategic planning proposals and the general conformity of LDFs with the London Plan. Paragraphs within policies have been lettered A, B, C/a, b, c to ease reference. Numbers are used in policies where there is a hierarchy of preferences with 1 being the first priority.