Some 4 years in the making…

The new London Plan has finally been published, formally ushering in a new era of planning in the Capital, and with it, a need to deliver some 66,000 new homes over the next 20 years (181 per day, every day) to accommodate a forecast 10.8 million population by 2041.

Central to the Plan is its intention to deliver ‘Good Growth’ – that is, growth that is economically inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

Add the commitment to making London zero carbon by 2050 to the 2041 population growth forecast and it’s easy to see that the scale of the challenges ahead are huge, even if their full breadth and depth cannot yet be appreciated.

The overarching aim of the Plan with respect to Transport is to achieve a target of 80% of all trips being made within London by public transport, walking and cycling by 2041.  Currently this proportion is around 63% so achieving the target is going to require significant modal shift.

Our practical experience so far of preparing Healthy Streets Transport Assessments and liaising with TfL in respect of the design of new sites is that their expectations in terms of ensuring a high quality walking and cycling environment coupled with minimal provision for cars has heightened dramatically.

In short, the new London Plan marks a significant step change in the role that transport must play in the planning and design process. With so many of the Plan’s aims and objectives having transport issues at their core, it’s clear that issues such as parking provision and management, access, street design and layout, servicing arrangements and many other topics will need to be comprehensively addressed within planning applications.