London’s Foundations (Geodiversity)
The London’s Foundations supplementary planning guidance (SPG) is a joint publication with Natural England setting out London’s geological heritage.
What guidance does the SPG provide?
The SPG includes guidance on:
- the geological heritage of London
- strategically important features found in open spaces that are recommended for protection
- how the regionally and locally important sites were selected, and the quality of these sites
- regionally important sites for boroughs to consider including in Development Plans
- potential locally important sites for boroughs to consider for identification in Development Plans
- how boroughs can implement the aims of protecting and promoting geodiversity
The Mayor supports the work of the London Geodiversity Partnership. Their website contains a wealth of material on London’s Geodiversity.
Which London Plan policies does the document provide guidance on?
The London Plan aims to protect and promote geodiversity in London (see Policy G9). These can be Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS) or Locally Important Geological Sites (LIGS). These sites, along with the designated national sites, are of strategic importance for geodiversity across London.
This document identifies suitable RIGS and provides guidance to enable the boroughs to identify LIGS, which would represent additional sites of local value. an updated list of adopted and candidate sites is available on the London Geodiversity Partnership website
Although the policies in this SPG relate to the London Plan 2011, it is still relevant to the London Plan 2021. Chapter 8 of the London Plan 2021 provides guidance to boroughs on how to ensure geodiversity is considered through the development of Local Plans and in decisions on planning proposals
The document
The SPG is available in pdf files to download, below. Because of the size of the pdf, the main text and the appendices are also available as separate files.
London Foundations appendices (an updated list of adopted and candidate sites is available on the LGP website)
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