GLA Consultation on Design Guidance (London Plan)

 From the Greater London Authority (GLA)

Consultation Opportunity – Design guidance: Characterisation and growth strategies, Optimising site capacity, a design led approach; Small site design codes; and Housing design standards London Plan Guidance

We are consulting on four new pieces of London Plan Guidance (LPG) relating to design and housing quality. This is the second consultation on this guidance, which builds on the Good Quality Homes for All Londoners Guidance that was consulted on between 13 October 2020 and 15 January 2021. 

We are consulting again because we have made quite significant changes to the guidance including making it into four separate LPG. 

1. Characterisation and growth strategy LPG

This relates to the following policies in the London Plan and is used for plan-making: 

Policy D1 London’s form, character and capacity for growth Policy D2 Infrastructure requirements for sustainable densities Policy D3 Optimising site capacity through the design-led approach Policy D9 Tall buildings Policy HC1 Policy HC1 Heritage conservation and growth, and Policy SD9 (Part B) Town centres: Local partnerships and implementation

It sets out a three-stage process to survey and analyse the characteristics of areas and uses this to identify the character of different areas and define tall buildings. This is then used to support growth strategies that take account of areas’ capacity for change and capacity for growth, including areas where tall buildings might be appropriate and the heights in these locations. 

2. Optimising site capacity: a design led approach LPG

This relates to the following policies in the London Plan and is used for plan-making and directly informing planning applications: 

Policy D1 London’s form, character and capacity for growth Policy D3 Optimising site capacity through the design-led approach, and Policy D4 Delivering good design

It sets out a five-stage process for implementing the design-led approach to plan-making and the site assessments that inform specific planning applications. 

3. Small site design codes LPG

This relates to London Plan Policy H2 Small sites, parts B2 – 4, setting out a process to analyse the opportunities for small site development and prepare and implement design codes. It will be used for plan-making and directly informing planning applications. It covers relevant aspects of the National Model Design Code published in 2021 by national government. 

4. Housing design standards LPG

This relates to London Plan Policy D6 Housing quality and standards and provides a checklist of London Plan policy requirements for new build, change of use and housing conversions in one place, with appropriate cross references back to the relevant policy in the London Plan and guidance about the type of development different standards apply to. 

The new guidance will be of interest to architects, designers, planners, developers, boroughs, neighbourhood planning groups, community groups and others. 

The consultation closes on 27 March 2022. 

Online Events

We’re running the following events (all online): 

Friday 4 March – 10am – 11:30am
This event is a general briefing for the general public to find out more about the new London Plan Guidance documents that relate to design and characterisation. It is open to all and is suitable for planning agents, architects and developers to ask questions and find out more about the guidance.
Register on this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/261016205497

Friday 11 March – 10.00am – 11.30am
This session introduces the four new London Plan Guidance documents that provide guidance on design and characterisation. It is aimed at the borough officers in London, interested in design and characterisation.
Register on this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/261071370497

We are also attending three Urban Design London events on the 8th, 9th and 16th March where we will present and set out the guidance documents that are out for consultation. To sign up to these events, please sign up on the UDL website. https://www.urbandesignlondon.com/events/2021-2022/london/

Useful Links

View details on the consultation and submit your response:
https://consult.london.gov.uk/designandcharacterisationguidance

Sign up to attend our online events:
http://londonplanguidance.eventbrite.com

The London Plan 2021 can be viewed on our website:
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/new-london-plan/london-plan-2021

Any queries can be emailed to QualityHomesLPG@london.gov.uk. You can post responses to: The Planning Team, Greater London Authority, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, LONDON, E16 1ZE. 

Kind regards 

The London Plan and Growth Strategies Team