Minor alterations to the London Plan
On 11 May 2015, Boris Johnson, London Mayor and MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip opened a consultation on minor alterations to the London Plan (MALPs). These alterations relate to housing standards and parking standards and are intended to to bring the London Plan into line with the new national housing standards and national car parking policy.
The alterations to the 2012 Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) will replace the existing housing space standards with the national space standard and adopt the optional Building Regulations on water and access (Part G and Part Q). The Code for Sustainable Homes and the Lifetime Homes concept will be removed.
The parking alterations recognise there are reasons for retaining residential parking standards in inner London, but that a more flexible approach could be adopted by the outer London boroughs, in particular in areas of low public transport accessibility. This would reduce pressure on on-street parking and avoid the ‘vicious cycle of clogged up streets leaving motorists running the gauntlet of congestion, unfair fines and parking restrictions'.
Following the consultation, the alterations were considered by an independent planning inspector at a joint public examination on 21 and 22 October 2015.
Alongside the minor alterations, a Housing Standards Policy Transition Statement was published, setting out how existing London housing standards should be applied from October 2015 until the minor alterations are adopted.
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