Boris calls on designers

The Mayor kicked off a four-month consultation yesterday evening as he announced proposals to slimline the London Plan, the city’s strategic planning system for the built environment.

He wants to see the 50 per cent London-wide target for affordable housing replaced with a programme of building, and to bring in additional protection for historic landmarks and World Heritage Sites.

The new Mayor hinted once again that he would not be sympathetic to the development of tall buildings in the capital in cases that would ‘undermine the unique character’ of historic sites.

He has outlined his vision for London in a report called ‘Planning a better London’.

The report comes ahead of his review of the London Plan, established by his predecessor Ken Livingstone. A period of consultation with industry will now take place until 10 November.

‘Although the London Plan has achieved a lot of good over the past eight years, it is too unwieldy and there’s too much focus on detail rather than outcomes,’ he told a conference at City Hall.

‘I want to see a slimmer plan, which deals with genuinely strategic issues, but this won’t be at the expense of London’s need for more homes and economic success,’ he explains.

‘In future, both inner and outer London will be equal priorities, and I’ll be working more collaboratively with local boroughs, especially to see that we get the 50 000 affordable homes we need to build over the next three years,’ he adds.

At the same time, Design for London, the London Development Agency’s urban design unit, announced its new-look line-up of architectural consultants for the capital.

Twenty-six practices have been signed up to the Architecture, Landscape and Urban Design Framework Panel, following an OJEU tender.