Boris Johnson has set out his vision for London’s development over the next two decades, which points to the importance of Outer London development.
The review of the London Plan has been published for consultation. It covers what the Mayor believes are the key areas for London’s development over the coming decades – economic, environmental, transport and social. It features policies to improve access to jobs, housing and transport, as well as providing extra help to those facing the greatest disadvantage.
London's population is expected to rise to around 9 million by 2031. The plan sets out the need for London to plan for the right type and level of housing, build homes that are designed with climate change in mind and incorporate measures to reduce the opportunity for crime. The London Plan also outlines the need for the schools, health facilities and infrastructure needed to support the capital in the coming decades and to develop a transport system that will meet the huge increase in the number of trips expected to be taken by Londoners in the future.
In keeping London competitive, the Plan recognises that London has excellence not only in financial services, but in the other key sectors of law, advertising and public relations, and in higher education, with more universities in the top 100, and more international students than any other city in the world. The plan sets out policies to ensure we have enough workspace and the infrastructure to enable all types and size of business and enterprise to grow. It also encourages economic development across the whole of the capital, acknowledging the crucial contribution that Outer London can make to the capital’s economic success.
While the key policies for an effective transport system are set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, which is also being reviewed, the London Plan aims to ensure that transport and planning policies are better coordinated, and to reduce people's need to travel long distances. The Outer London Commission will play a key role in informing the policies to achieve this goal as well as ensuring the network of town centres that make up London are better connected.
