GLA Elections Start a New Era Act of Bad Boris Johnson Sets up His Team and Publishes His Intended Actions
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Issue 51 Summer 2008 Price £3 newsforum The London Forum working to protect and improve the quality of life in London The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies Founded 1988 w www.londonforum.org.uk In this issue 2 The Mayor’s new planning Changes to empty property 12 The Planning Bill powers reliefs 13 Round the Societies Spotlight on 3 News from the new Mayor 8 Spotlight on Ealing Civic 15 News briefs: key issues and Ealing Civic Society 4 Increasing capacity at Heathrow Society concerns to note 6 Hands off the Green Belt 10 Flooding in London 16 London Forum AGM Page 8 7 What future for Smithfield? 11 The cultural Olympiad Pollution dodge at Heathrow Boris Johnson’s appointments “A disgraceful GLA elections start a new era act of bad Boris Johnson sets up his team and publishes his intended actions. London Forum Chairman faith” Peter Eversden reports hat is how John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, The new GLA emerges Implications for the London Forum Tdescribed the government’s plan to Labour Assembly members have formed a There is a lot of work for the London Forum apply to the European Union for limits on air coalition with the Liberal Democrats and the to do in building new relationships, seeking pollution to be suspended to allow Green party to fill most of the posts decided by clarification on the mayor’s new powers, Heathrow to expand. the Assembly. Jennette Arnold, the Labour pursuing changes in policies or their The reference, buried in a paragraph on member for the North East, is chairman of application and liaising with the Assembly page 88 of the DfT report Adding Capacity the Assembly. Members have exercised new committees on their activities and scrutinies. at Heathrow Airport - was revealed in The powers under the GLA Act 2007 to conduct Feedback from our members has been Times on June 14. confirmation hearings on the mayor’s nominations sought on key issues and we are analysing However it has not gone unnoticed. A for some jobs. Those include Brian Coleman the survey returns to prioritise those. delegation of leaders of local authorities as chairman of London Fire & Emergency representing more than two million Planning Authority, Harvey McGrath and Peter London Forum’s planning concerns residents around Heathrow plan to go to Rogers for the LDA and David Ross to the London Forum’s planning issues were put to Strasbourg next month to ask the Olympic Games Organising Committee board. the mayor’s senior adviser for planning, Sir Commission to block the Government's plan Simon Milton. They include concerns about by refusing to grant a five-year exemption. The Mayor’s team the way tall buildings and the maximisation Darren Johnson, a Green Party member The mayor set up a strong team of deputy of housing densities were promoted in the of the London Assembly, said: “Burying this mayors, directors, special appointments and past. We are seeking clarification on how the clause deep in the consultation document is advisers. Richard Barnes, Assembly member mayor’s pledges on protected viewing a sign that the Government is embarrassed. for Ealing and Hillingdon, was appointed as the corridors will be implemented. Also, how the It goes against the whole spirit of statutory deputy mayor; Tim Parker has the title mayor’s aim for 50,000 new affordable consultation to effectively try to hide that of first deputy mayor and will chair Transport for homes by 2011 can be achieved now that he fact from the public.” London and run City Hall as Chief Executive. intends to scrap the 50% affordable housing Ian Clement, former Leader of Bexley target. The mayor’s new planning powers More about Heathrow on page 4 Council, is deputy mayor for relationships raise questions about the processes for his with Government and the boroughs and is to direction to refuse planning permission and deal with the Mayor’s planning decisions. for taking over cases for his own determin- Deputy mayor Ray Lewis will lead on the ation. There must be procedures for hearing mayor’s manifesto commitments for children and responding to representations from third The Mayoral elections resulted and young people. A new Assembly member, parties, boroughs and the community. in over a million votes for the Kit Malthouse, is deputy mayor for Policing Full details of the Mayor’s appointments, pledges and new mayor, Boris Johnson and first deputy chair of the Metropolitan priorities are at Police Authority. Andrew Barry-Purssell has w www.london.gov.uk/mayor/team/ taken over as Head of the London Plan team. w www.london.gov.uk/mayor/priorities/ newsforum Summer 2008 1 Mayor’s new planning powers 2008 London Forum opposes unprecedented ‘call-in’ powers for the Mayor Chairman, Peter Eversden, gave this talk to borough planning officers and GLA staff at City Hall on the changes in the Mayor’s powers introduced in April 2008 e originally opposed the proposed Careful consideration will need to be given to Mayor’s ‘call-in’ powers in the latest The proposed Mayor’s ‘call-in’ the application of the policy test by the Mayor WGLA Bill which are unprecedented for taking control of development decisions in the UK and a departure from the normal powers are unprecedented in based on a borough’s past performance. requirements of propriety. With the new We would expect any concern by the Mayor powers, the Mayor must meet the standards the UK and a departure from about the performance of a borough was of propriety expected for quasi-judicial normal propriety requirements published and dealt with in advance of any decision making by a local planning authority consideration of a specific planning and not give his support to a scheme. application, to avoid unnecessary call-in. The intention is that a discretionary power form that a development should take, The London Forum wants to see the way be used sparingly because, and I quote, ‘only not the Mayor. in which the Mayor applies his new planning a small number of cases’ are expected per • we strongly support the Density Matrix powers to be open and fully democratic and year, since ‘few cases will raise issues that in the London Plan – it sets an to be conducted on an accurate and justify taking over the application’. ‘appropriate density range’ for each site complete basis of assessment against the and is the basis for setting the capacity London Plan and associated strategies. Concern over what is ‘strategic’ of sites that makes up the Borough Finally, the Government’s changes in Our main concern is that there is too great a Housing Targets. planning have to be taken into account and scope for defining applications as ‘strategic’ • in practice, for two years two-thirds of we will all need some clear interpretation and there is no provision, other than judicial permissions for schemes over 10 units when the Planning Bill has been processed. review, to appeal against the Mayor’s exceeded, often greatly, the upper end of decision to take over an application. There is the ‘appropriate density range’ for site. London Forum Open Meeting on the an absence of any clear method of reviewing • these excessive densities, that fail to Mayor’s New Planning Powers the Mayor’s decisions, although call-in by the conform to policy, are unacceptable as they Also in April, Giles Dolphin, GLA Head of Secretary of State is still possible. are not sustainable, often lack infrastructure the Planning Decisions Unit addressed a The new Order defines ‘Applications of facilities and may provide a poor quality of London Forum Open Meeting. He explained Potential Strategic Importance’ as only life for those crowded into them. how the new planning system will work and those that are genuinely strategic and may went through details of changes to the be taken over only if they pass a ‘stringent’ How is ‘strategic’ to be assessed? referral criteria. policy test and thresholds for such We do not understand when a housing He attempted to assuage the fears applications have been amended, especially: scheme between 150 and 499 units would expressed about the new system in a lively • raising thresholds in the City of London be ‘strategic’ if: questions and answer session. It would to exclude office development less than • the principle of housing was agreed; and mean only a relatively small number of 100,000 sq metres and those less than • a density in the appropriate density cases would be called in although it was not 150 metres tall – fewer schemes will be range was acceptable, but not one clear how Policy tests would turn out. The notified by City of London which could significantly above it; and procedure will be kept under review, and is affect contributions for public transport • the proportions of affordable housing likely to change. or affordable housing were acceptable He nevertheless gave a startling warning • lowering the threshold for notification of London Forum is concerned about intervention that people should be vigilant as there was a housing schemes from 500 to 150 in cases which are not ‘strategic’ - and the threat of the loss of the planning system housing units. resulting conflict with local communities. itself, as a result of the Planning Bill. London Forum believes that few if any housing The following month Boris Johnson was schemes with 150 units are likely to be Issues of governance elected as Mayor and we wait to see how strategic in terms of undermining the imple- In considering Governance Issues, we are his administration will deal with these mentation the strategy of the London Plan.