During the Examination, the Mayor’s plans were blasted by a broad range of influential organisations including the Environment Agency, the London Sustainable Development Commission, the London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies, the London Assembly, Friends of the Earth.
Only the Mayor’s Office and the big business lobby argued that the Plan was sustainable.
Darren Johnson, an outspoken critic of the Plan said, "The London Plan proposes massive growth for London with a major new round of roadbuilding, significant airport expansion and new office accommodation the equivalent of an additional seventy-five Canary Wharfs. Who seriously believes that the promised new jobs in financial services are really going to go to the poor and unemployed of east London? More likely, they will attract even more wealthy commuters into London from the South East and beyond."
Greens are opposing the Mayor’s London Plan on the following grounds:
* It will add to London’s transport problems It supports
new road-building and major airport expansion and there is a lack of policy objectives to reduce need to travel, reduce traffic, and improve local accessibility.
* It does not adequately protect London’s natural
environment Open space protection is not strong enough in the Plan, leaving room for much remaining open space to be developed, including sites with nature conservation value.
* It is a tool of the City and big business. It puts
financial services and ‘the city’ at the centre of London’s economic development, at the expense of other, more appropriate, forms of development. The new jobs in financial services are unlikely to go to those currently deprived of jobs and opportunities and will only lead to yet more commuters on to London’s already overcrowded transport system.
* It will fail to improve the quality of life. London is
currently blighted by poor transport, high levels of pollution, long commuter journeys, expensive facilities, and threatened open space. Planning which overheats London’s economy will continue these trends.
* It does not prepare for sustainable population levels.
The Mayor’s Plan projects population growth the equivalent to a borough the size of Islington being added to London every three to four years. Green’s argue the Plan does not properly take into account the impact of population growth on the environment, transport system and the demand for new housing and office space.
ENDS