Grappling with the London Plan examination requires stamina

Julia Park

Julia Park explains how to engage - so you can influence the shape of London without giving up your day job

Writing about a forthcoming London Society event, its chairman Peter Murray remarked that a representative of a leading housing association had recently said development in London was becoming “just too difficult”.

He, or she, went on to explain that high land values, the huge investment in fees before a project gets off the ground, the long delays in planning (a couple of years is not uncommon and complex sites can sit around for a decade), the uncertainty once the project gets to the planning committee and the possibility of it being called in, all add to the difficulties. On top of that, the mayor is committed to greater local consultation and has introduced tenant ballots for estate regeneration.

Essentially a debate about whether “faster is better” – between Daniel Moylan, co-chair of Urban Design London among other things, and Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute – next month’s report should be interesting.

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