Press Release

Changes to the London Plan

09 July 2008

Judith Salomon, Director of Planning and Development at business organisation London First, responded to the Mayor’s proposals for the London Plan.  She said:

“In the weakening market, we must ensure that delivery is maximised – London and Londoners still need more homes and commercial development to support economic and population growth. More than ever, policy needs to be flexible and realistic: focusing on delivery, not on rafts of requirements and maximising planning gain.

“We welcome removing the 50% affordable housing target – it is right that the emphasis is on increasing the delivery of ALL housing.

“A return to Parker Morris space standards is a worthy aspiration – who wouldn’t prefer larger homes? But space comes at a cost: larger homes cost more. The Mayor must balance this and other requirements with his desire to ensure housing is affordable.

“Returning to the narrow strategic views could be counter-productive: we must balance conserving the past with safeguarding our economic future.”