In 2016, there were some 11,800 planning applications for new dwellings decided by local planning authorities in London.
Only a fraction of these are strategic applications that need to be referred to the Mayor. Strategic applications include schemes containing at least 150 residential units and, though relatively small in number, they make a significant contribution to net new housing supply in London.
Opportunities to influence planning proposals often exist at a much earlier stage than a formal planning application. Where larger scale development is envisaged, local plans or studies of housing land may already have identified specific sites and indicated the sort of development that might be acceptable in planning terms. Sometimes the local planning authority may have issued a planning brief for a site or produced a master plan to guide the development of a particular locality.
A key role for HUDU is to monitor the development of plans and proposals as they emerge (and as planning applications come forward), and to work with NHS partners to ensure their needs are taken into account during the planning process and that health benefits are optimised.
What is important is not just the impact of individual developments, but the cumulative impact over time. Development activity varies considerably within and across areas, as well as over time. Regular monitoring of the progress of developments is important, as is regularly reviewing the implications of changing needs and circumstances.
We can help you to:
- identify planning applications and opportunities at an early stage through our planning alerts system
- look at the relationship between development proposals individually and cumulatively and health infrastructure needs
- assess the health impacts of planning proposals and developments
- evaluate the scale and nature of any developer contributions required
- ensure any site specific requirements are identified
- make the case for health
- respond to planning applications and/or negotiate with the local planning authority
- understand the local planning context within which Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and S106 is applied
- ensure health infrastructure needs are taken into account when introducing and implementing Community Infrastructure Levy
- keep track of the larger developments – including any S106 planning contributions that may be due