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• Reference: 2021/1235
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 18 March 2021

In May 2020, a new pilot scheme was launched across four Met BCUs, enabling colleagues from London’s Fire Brigade (LFB) to assist the London Ambulance Service (LAS) for ‘collapsed behind locked doors’. For each of the BCUs involved, how many times has this been done?

• Reference: 2020/1517
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 21 May 2020

Could you please confirm that the assumptions, in Croydon’s Local Plan Review, of a London Plan housing target of 29,490 units and small sites target of 15,110 units are now out of date, with both targets having been reduced by 8,700 units? Would you agree that councils should base their local plans on the most up to date housing targets, and will you advise Croydon Council to this effect?

• Reference: 2019/19791
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 17 October 2019

Your answer to Question 2019/8976 on 17 May 2019 indicated you are currently preparing a detailed Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to accompany the London Plan policy that will provide additional detail on how to effectively optimise housing potential using the design led approach. Can you indicate when you intend to publish this Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), providing guidance on assessing appropriate housing and residential densities for new housing developments?

• Reference: 2019/17474
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 12 September 2019

Further to your response to question 2019/8973, the second paragraph of your response states: “My draft London Plan explicitly recognises that the appropriate density of a site is an output of a process of assessment, rather than an input.” Policy D6 at D States: The following measurements of density should be provided for all planning applications that include new residential units: 1) number of units per hectare 2) number of habitable rooms per hectare 3) number or bedrooms per hectare 4) number of bedspaces per hectare. Policy D6 does not define the process by which to analyse these parameters to...

• Reference: 2019/17533
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 12 September 2019

Further to your response to question 2019/8973, the first paragraph of your answer related to the current Policy 3.4 which includes a density matrix but did not answer the question on Policy D6 which requested why Policy D6 does not give guidance to applicants for the appropriate densities for development proposals at given localities and therefore does not meet the requirements of NPPF para 16 and 122. 16. Plans should: d) contain policies that are clearly written and unambiguous, so it is evident how a decision maker should react to development proposals; 122. Planning policies and decisions should support development...

• Reference: 2019/12329
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 20 June 2019

Your answer to Question 2019/8974 relating to the Policy D6 using a “design-led-approach” does not provide a detailed methodology to evaluate “Site Context” or a methodology to evaluate the “Capacity of Supporting Infrastructure” or a methodology to evaluate the “Planned Connectivity by Walking, Cycling and Public Transport Availability”. These contributing factors are vague and subjective parameter descriptions which would be extremely difficult to define whether a proposal was acceptable or unacceptable as there are no conclusive definitions of the parameters contributing to this “Design-led-approach” criterion or for the analysis of these factors which could indicate whether a proposal was acceptable...

• Reference: 2019/12330
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 20 June 2019

If the Density Matrix is removed from the Policy and Policy D6 is adopted – how will applicants be able to provide development proposals to meet the Policy if the Supplementary Planning Guidance to accompany the Plan that will provide additional detail on how to effectively optimise the capacity of sites by following the design-led approach, is not published at the same time as the new London Plan is adopted? And will this Supplementary Planning Guidance be included in the Evaluation in Public (EiP) procedures by the Planning Inspectorate?

• Reference: 2019/12331
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 20 June 2019

In response to Question 2019/8975, you state that Policy D6 provides a requirement for an assessment of each development site’s context to identify opportunities and constraints that can determine the appropriate built form and the Plan is explicit that the density of individual development proposals should be reduced to respond to existing and planned levels of supporting infrastructure, including public transport capacity, where the capacity cannot be sufficiently expanded through the development or through a strategic approach to enhance area-wide infrastructure capacity. However, the Policy does not specify any methodology to determine the acceptability or otherwise of these parameters. How...

• Reference: 2019/12332
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 20 June 2019

The policies in your draft London Plan do not set out a clear and systematic approach to assess development proposals that reflect site specific circumstances. Your answer to Question 2019/8976 indicated that you are preparing detailed Supplementary Planning Guidance to accompany the Plan that will provide additional detail on how to effectively optimise the capacity of sites by following the design-led-approach. If that is the case does it not prove that Policy D6: 1 Does not meet the requirements of NPPF para 16 d); 2 If the Supplementary Planning Guidance is not published at the same time as the New...

• Reference: 2019/8973
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 16 May 2019

As Policy D6 of your new draft London Plan does not give clear guidance what densities are acceptable and what densities are not acceptable, Policy D6 does not give any guidance on the actual appropriate densities of proposed developments in relation to the setting or the local PTAL (public transport accessibility level). The policy requires planning officers to assess local development proposals on subjective evaluation of local characteristics and devise their own evaluation criteria. Applicants would not have any guidance on the appropriate densities for a proposed development and therefore the Policy D6 does not reflect para 122 of the...