Agenda item

Resolved: that the Chair of the Committee would write to the Mayor of London setting out the Committee’s concerns about development in back gardens. It was also agreed that the Committee would give further future consideration to the update of the pubs evidence base study. And - the Committee resolved to share its views on planning policy with Mayor and Cabinet, as follows:

·                     The Committee believes that Mayor and Cabinet should formally resolve to actively lobby the Greater London Authority for the extension of the Bakerloo line to Catford (and beyond) in order to provide the infrastructure for the Mayor of London’s ambitious new housing targets.

6.1      David Syme introduced the report and a presentation (attached to the agenda), the following key points were noted:

·         Work was taking place to develop the Lewisham Local Plan, including the evidence base for the new plan and the timetable for delivery.

·         There would be a preferred options document for consultation (in accordance with regulation 18 of the legislation) in winter 2018, the next stage of the plan would be prepared for summer 2019 (in accordance with regulation 19). It was anticipated that adoption of the new plan would take place in 2020.

·         Lewisham’s Local Plan had to be in conformity with the London Plan unless reasons for exceptions could be robustly demonstrated.

·         The Mayor of London had published a number of other strategies and draft plans which would help to inform the development of the new local plan. For example, in the draft transport strategy it was recognised that there had to be infrastructure in place to deliver growth.

·         There was a commitment for Bakerloo line extension phase one, although the necessary funding was not yet in place. It was also recognised by the GLA that Lewisham was a key interchange.

·         The upper limit of development density had been abolished in the new London Plan in favour of ‘design led density’, which gave greater consideration to the setting and available infrastructure for new developments.

·         Lewisham had new targets for the delivery of homes, along with all other London boroughs.

·         The annual increase in the target for new homes in Lewisham was 50% greater than at present.

·         A balance would be sought in Lewisham between delivering new homes and development density.

·         All Councils were required to publish a register of brownfield land. Lewisham’s register had been agreed by Mayor and Cabinet and would be published on the Council’s website at the end of the year.

6.2      David Syme responded to questions from the Committee, the following key points were noted:

·         The Local Development Scheme was being developed alongside the Local Plan. This would inform the public about how they could become involved in the development of the new plan. A consultation plan was also being developed, which was currently at the early stages.

·         It was not clear how the process for bypassing the affordable housing viability assessment would work in practice. Lewisham’s policy was to aim for 50% affordable housing in new developments. However, in accordance with the new London Plan there would be no requirement on developers to provide a viability assessment if they committed to providing 35% of a new development as affordable housing.

·         There was a process in place to ensure that developers provided as much affordable housing as possible. However, national guidance meant that the Council could not put ‘undue pressure’ on developers to provide affordable housing.

·         The GLA had set targets for the delivery of housing on small sites. This included the potential for delivery of housing in back gardens as long as there was no net loss of green space. It was not clear at present how this would be achieved. The proposals was being challenged by the London boroughs.

·         The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment process used a methodology that took account of the different sizes and land available in the different London boroughs.

6.3      Resolved: that the Chair of the Committee would write to the Mayor of London setting out the Committee’s concerns about development in back gardens. It was also agreed that the Committee would give further future consideration to the update of the pubs evidence base study. And - the Committee resolved to share its views on planning policy with Mayor and Cabinet, as follows:

·         The Committee believes that Mayor and Cabinet should formally resolve to actively lobby the Greater London Authority for the extension of the Bakerloo line to Catford (and beyond) in order to provide the infrastructure for the Mayor of London’s ambitious new housing targets.