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London Plan technical and research reports

We use a range of technical and research reports to help us develop policies and prepare the London Plan. Links to these reports can be found on this page. The documents are listed by theme to make them easier to find.

Only the most recent reports are kept here. If you can’t find a report that you want, please email [email protected].

Build to Rent development research

This research reviews the market for build to rent developments in the UK and London, including the types of Build to Rent transactions taking place in the market.

2008 Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment

2016 Density review:

The GLA commissioned five research projects in January 2016 on housing density to inform the full review of the London Plan. In addition to these five projects Transport for London have produced a report for a related project that reviewed how PTAL is used to inform housing density and explored additional transport measures that could be used to inform planning decisions. The reports produced for each project can be downloaded below; research projects 2 and 3 have been combined into a single report and a supporting technical report.

Other reports

The research report that can be downloaded below, explores how residents experience living in high-density housing in London, and how this differ by tenure, household type, and the characteristics of the scheme. The research examines what factors make such developments perform well or badly as homes.

Accommodating Growth in Town Centres: Achieving Successful Housing Intensification and High Street Diversification, Maccreanor Lavington, Peter Brett Associates.

This report assesses the changing nature of retail and the potential for housing in and around town centres while encouraging commercial enterprises and the spaces they need on high streets.

2013 London Town Centre Health Check Analysis Report

2013 London Town Centre Health Check Analysis Report Annexes

2013 London Town Centre Health Check – Technical Annex can be found on the London Datastore on the below link.

http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/2013-london-town-centre-health-check-analysis-report

This is the latest in the ongoing series of strategic London-wide health checks we’ve undertaken with support from the London boroughs. It provides a snapshot of the health of over 200 of London’s town centres using a selection of indicators, and illustrates how these have changed over time.

Industrial Land Supply and Economy Study 2015

This study assesses the supply of industrial land in London in 2015. It looks at how much industrial land has been released over the period 2010-2015 as well as potential future release of land in the planning pipeline. The study analyses employment and business in designated industrial sites and assesses trends in industrial land supply in the inner south east of England and compares these with trends in London. The study also considers the potential economic and congestion impacts of a reduced supply of industrial land in the capital. The report and appendices can be downloaded below.

Small offices and mixed use - Central Activities Zone

Small offices and mixed use in London's Central Activities Zone (CAZ) 2015

This report investigates:

  • office issues related to London's Central Activities Zone including the supply and demand for small offices

  • implementation of London Plan small offices

  • mixed use policy; and the balance between offices and housing in different parts of the Zone

London Office Policy Reviews

To help us to understand the ever-changing office market we have commissioned a series of independently produced reports called the London Office Policy Reviews (LOPR). These reviews assess existing office supply, trends in office supply and demand and employment projections to help inform our policies.

The most recent LOPR, produced by Ramidus Consulting with Roger Tym and Partners, was published in September 2012.

LOPR 2012 includes the following:

  • A review of office-based employment projections and estimates of office floor space needed to inform future alterations to the London Plan
  • An assessment of the impact of recent economic events on different parts of the London office market, and those which might be anticipated in the future
  • A review of London Plan town centre office development guidelines and associated policy proposals

  • An investigation of the ‘mega-schemes’ identified in LOPR 2009, their implications for office development within the Central Activities Zones, on its fringes, or beyond

  • Consideration of the potential for conversion of surplus office space to other uses, especially residential, in different parts of London

  • An overview of hybrid office/industrial buildings, their locational attributes and implications for office, industrial, transport and other polices.

The office employment forecasts used in LOPR 2012 were updated in 2014 to inform the Further Alterations to the London Plan.

Past reviews

London Office Policy Reviews are available to download from the following years:

Industrial Land Demand and Release Benchmarks 2011

This study assesses demand for industrial land across London, taking the following from the 2010 London Industrial Land Baseline:

  • employment projections for industrial uses

  • land demand for logistics

  • waste management supply data

London Industrial Land Baseline 2010

This research provides a baseline for monitoring industrial land supply in all boroughs across London in 2010.

London Wholesale Markets Review 2007

This review tests the scale and nature of likely future demand for wholesale market functions in London. It also provides recommendations to secure an efficient food wholesaling function, use of land and transportation of wholesale produce.

Consumer Expenditure and Comparison Goods Retail Floorspace Need in London 2013

This study assesses the scale and nature of consumer spending in London over the period from 2011 to 2036 for:

  • comparison goods

  • convenience goods

  • other expenditure including leisure

It also includes requirements for comparison goods retail floorspace in London.

This study provides a broad quantification of small shop provision in London and explores how small shops can be supported through the planning system.

London's Retail Street Markets 2010

This report analyses the retail markets sector in London, assessing its contribution to the London economy as well as the wider social benefits that markets bring.

Understanding the demand for and supply of visitor accommodation in London to 2036

This report provides an estimate of the supply of serviced accommodation in London in 2012. It also provides projections for the number of net new serviced visitor accommodation ‘rooms’ required by 2036.

This report was prepared to inform London Plan policy on the percentage of accessible hotel bedrooms required to meet demand to 2031.

Biodiversity

The Mayor commissioned the Ecology Consultancy to examine the feasibility of applying an Urban Greenspace Factor within London. The results can be found in the Urban Greening Factor for London Final Report.

The Mayor commissioned Land Use Consultants to undertake an update of the Sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation

The Mayor commissioned London Wildlife Trust/Green Space Information for Greater London to provide an update on the habitats targets set out in Table 7.3 of the adopted London Plan and make recommendations for future monitoring.

Flood risk appraisal

London Regional Flood Risk Appraisal – First Review: This First Review of the Regional Flood Risk Appraisal (RFRA) updates the original version that was published in October 2009. It includes an overview of the different types of flood risk in London and provides a spatial analysis of tidal, fluvial and surface water flood risk against major development locations, key infrastructure assets and services. The Statement of Consultation provides an overview of the consultation comments to the draft document published in January 2014 and the Mayor’s responses.

Waste

SLR Consultants were commissioned by the Mayor to update the following;

Other reports

Older Londoners and the London Plan

Older Londoners are the fastest growing population group in London and already contribute around £9bn pa to economic activity in the capital. To ensure future London Plan policies are responsive to the needs of older Londoners, the GLA commissioned this “thinkpiece” to explore how this could be achieved as part of the forthcoming Review of the London Plan.

The report contains a detailed analysis of local plan policies specifically affecting older persons across all London Boroughs and includes a series of case studies showing how, through relatively small changes to the planning system, life could be better for older Londoners than it is today.

Other reports

Centre for London (CfL) were appointed in January 2019 to carry out research to expand the evidence base for the Public London Charter. The research includes an overview of current legislation and a number of selected case studies illustrating the planning and management and use of spaces in recent developments or refurbished spaces. The report concludes with a number of recommendations to inform the development of the Charter.

Public London: the regulation, management and use of public spaces, 2019, Centre for London.

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