Housing supplementary planning guidance

The London Plan is a statutory strategy required by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. It is prepared by the Mayor of London and provides a spatial development strategy setting out an economic, environmental, transport and social framework for the development of London.

The Mayor also publishes Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) for London which provides additional details on policies set out in the London Plan. A range of Best Practice Guidance (BPG’s) are also published.

Supplementary Planning Guidance is provided where the level of guidance required is to detailed for inclusion in the development plan, or if a rapid policy response to is needed to an emerging issue. It provides support for statutory development plans, but carries less weight than them when planning matters are considered and cannot create new policies.

The Mayor’s Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance provides guidance about how to implement the housing policies in the London Plan (LP). It is informed by the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework and by the Housing Strategy for England.

The November 2012 SPG replaced the the previous 2005 SPG, the 2010 Interim Housing SPG and the draft SPG Affordable Housing note.

However, in May 2015, changes were proposed to replace the existing housing space standards with the national space standard and to adopt the optional building regulations on water and access (Part G and Part Q). The Code for Sustainable Homes and the Lifetime Homes concept was also removed. See Minor alterations to the London Plan.

Draft Interim Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) was published for public consultation on 15 May 2015. The consultation ended on 7 August 2015. The 2012 Housing SPG was then read alongside the Mayor’s Housing Standards Policy Transition Statement (2015) and the Draft Interim Housing SPG (2015).

In March 2016, following the consultation, the Housing SPG was updated to reflect the Further Alterations to the London Plan (FALP) and the Minor Alterations to the London Plan (MALP). This replaced the 2012 Housing SPG and the Mayor’s Housing Standards Policy Transition Statement. Ref London.gov.uk March 2016.

The guidance makes clear that:

"To keep pace with rapid population growth, we must massively increase the number of new homes being built... by planning to deliver at least 49,000 extra homes a year."

"To help this happen this guidance seeks to clarify the world of viability appraisals and

appropriate land values.

"And it is not just about delivering housing numbers. The type and tenure of new housing

is equally important. London urgently requires more affordable homes and more private homes that meet the needs of people on a range of incomes, all built to a decent standard."

The SPG is divided into seven parts:

1. Housing supply.
2. Housing quality.
3. Housing choice.
4. Viability appraisals.
5. Investment and existing housing stock.
6. Social infrastructure.
7. Mixed use and large developments.

[edit] Find out more

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Access and inclusion in the built environment: policy and guidance.
• Affordable housing.
• Affordable housing and viability SPG.
• Central activities zone supplementary planning guidance.
• Changing lifestyles.
• Draft London Housing Strategy (blog November 2013).
• Homes and Communities Agency.
• Housing health and safety rating system.
• Housing standards review.
• Inclusive design.
• Lifetime homes.
• London View Management Framework.
• National Planning Policy Framework.
• Nationally described space standard.
• Opportunity Area Planning Framework (OAPF).
• Supplementary planning guidance for London SPG.
• The London Plan.