Policy 3.15 Co-ordination of housing development and investment

Planning decisions and LDF preparation

A Boroughs should ensure that implementation of this Plan’s long term, strategic housing policies are informed by, and integrated with, the short to medium term horizon provided by their own programmes and those of other relevant agencies including those arising from the Mayor’s Housing, Economic Development and Transport Strategies, the London Plan Implementation Plan and arrangements for partnership, cross border and sub-regional working.

3.85 Successful implementation of the housing policies of this Plan will be important to achievement of most of the Mayor’s wider objectives for London and will require positive engagement and co-ordination with a very wide range of public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders working to varied timescales and sometimes distinct agendas. As the single most important delivery agencies, boroughs are crucial to this process. The Mayor is committed to working with them through the different parts of the GLA group, which he intends should act in an integrated way, and through the roles he plays in other organisations and partnerships. Where he can add value he will provide strategic support to enable the myriad local initiatives and actions tailored to their local circumstances which are necessary to achieve his broad housing objectives for London. These include social and environmental infrastructure investments through local partnerships, strategies and agreements which are essential to enhancing quality of life for new as well as existing residents.

3.85A Research^[1] shows that in London the planning process is just one among a range of more significant constraints on housing delivery preventing the translation of planning approvals to completions. However, it can provide a framework for pro-active working to facilitate operation of the market by bringing together land owners, developers, registered providers, the GLA group and other relevant agencies to translate ‘developable’ and other sites into ones which are more immediately ‘deliverable’ in the terms of the NPPF. The Mayor is already working to bring forward individual, ‘stalled’ strategic sites. Boroughs are encouraged to do the same with smaller ‘stalled’ sites. To facilitate and encourage new development it is important that realistic and sensitive account is taken of its viability when seeking S106 contributions and setting CIL charges^[2].

^[1] Molior London. Barriers to Housing Delivery – what are the market-perceived barriers to residential development in London? GLA 2012

^[2] CLG NPPF 2012 op cit 173 - 177