Delivering more homes, supporting sustainable economic growth and ensuring London has the infrastructure it needs for the future were central themes when Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration Jules Pipe CBE joined us earlier this week.
Kindly hosted by London Square, our latest Meet the Deputy Mayor briefing focused on the Draft New London Plan – the Mayor’s spatial development strategy – following the public consultation closing last month.
Opening the session, Jules reflected on the challenging market conditions facing London’s development sector. The economic environment is markedly different from 2021, when the last London Plan was finalised, with the war in Iran and wider economic pressures affecting development viability.
Against this backdrop, he emphasised the importance of taking a long-term view and being bold about the kind of growth London needs.
The Draft New London Plan represents an opportunity to set that direction. As well as being a streamlined document compared to the previous iteration, the Plan is clearer about where and how London should grow. The ambition is to deliver good growth through well-located, high-quality developments while also meeting the capital’s climate commitments.
The realities of housing delivery was a recurring theme. Jules discussed the importance of affordable housing, while also being realistic about what can be delivered in the current market conditions. The Government’s recently announced Your First Home scheme could help to support both demand and delivery in the capital and beyond. He also reflected on the emergency measures to boost housebuilding in London, introduced by the Government and the Mayor earlier this year, and the extent to which economic conditions will determine their future direction.
Jules also made the point that not all infrastructure can, or should, be funded through developer contributions. Steps to provide greater fiscal devolution – giving London and other regions more power to retain local tax and invest in infrastructure – could help in this regard by giving the city the tools and funding streams it needs to deliver priority projects such as the Bakerloo line extension. This could in turn unlock significant opportunities for new homes, commercial development and growth.
The conversation also explored the potential for new towns in London, including proposals in Enfield and Thamesmead, and the opportunities these could bring to support long-term growth.
During the Q&A, Jules touched on the Greater London Authority’s relationship with the boroughs amid political fragmentation, the Mayor’s call-in powers and the implications of the new National Planning Policy Framework. Jules also flagged his intention to ensure the language used in the final text of the London Plan is more precise in some areas, particularly around tall buildings outside established clusters and affordable workspaces.
The discussion reinforced the importance of a planning framework that is ambitious about London’s future while grounded in the realities of delivering development. Unlocking investment, bringing forward stalled sites and providing greater certainty for the market will be essential if London is to deliver the homes, infrastructure and sustainable economic growth it needs.