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Edging towards the frontier |
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LONDON MAYOR Ken Livingstone's new plan for the capital, The Spatial Development Strategy, aims to bring a holistic approach to the governance of a world-class city.
By Paul Brandon
The plan provides the Mayor with an opportunity to lead the world in creating and formulating sustainable policies. At present, though, it lacks a vital measure an environmentally friendly land tax to replace harmful income and sales taxes.
In May 2001 the Mayor published Towards the London Plan setting out for consultation a vision for London and the broad policy direction for the preparation of a full draft strategy that would:
- provide the plan for an integrated social, economic and environmental framework for London's development in the context of the wider south-east region and continental Europe
- integrate the physical and geographic dimensions of the Mayor's other strategies, providing a framework for land use management and development
- be expected to address sustainable development, transport, housing, waste, the River Thames, the natural and open environment and major cultural and community facilities
- offer proposals for implementing and funding the strategy
- outline the London-wide context within which individual boroughs would set their local planning policies through Unitary Development Plans
- provide London's response to European guidance on spatial planning (the European Spatial Development Perspective)
- define the policy framework for the Mayor's involvement in major planning decisions.
- The responses to this consultation document (and the Mayor's views on these responses) will be considered by a government-appointed panel, which will publicly examine the strategy for its effectiveness and consistency with other initiatives and government policy.
This is one of the most significant documents for the people of London in decades. It provides an opportunity for the Mayor to show the world what radical measures are required if a truly sustainable city is to be created.
Yet the Mayor is still to fully acknowledge the importance of ensuring that landowners contribute to the capital's wellbeing.
Livingstone has indicated that he would like landowners to contribute their gains, but within what is a flawed planning system. This will not be enough to meet the requirements of the London Plan. If he really wishes to create a healthy and wealthy London he will need a more radical approach.
He could consider - as Peter Mandelson's grandfather Herbert Morrison did in 1939 - the simple but effective policy of site value rating, naturally modernised. Not only would it provide a means of raising revenue to fund transport projects, it would also act as a device to release land currently held out of use.
This would stimulate the economy and tackle the housing crisis, urban decay and poverty. It is the second half of these measures that would prove more significant for the Livingstone's London plan.
This friendly and sustainable tax acts as an incentive and encouragement to better use finite and scarce natural resources. User fees ensure land is employed most productively.
The Mayor, during his question time last November, also recognised this with regards to his road rent congestion charge scheme saying that he considered it “not a tax, but a price mechanism.
Let's hope the Mayor, who presently lacks the powers to raise more revenue, can lobby the government and advocate urban land reform for London.
Paul Brandon
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