The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has announced his plans to protect pubs and the green belt whilst cutting down on takeaways near schools. Khan plans to make more than half of London green by 2050, with green infrastructure forming an integral part of new developments.
Khan said that his draft London Plan will protect green infrastructure by strengthening the safeguards that prevent harmful development on vital green land, both in and around the capital. Planning applications that involve building on green belt land will be refused if strict rules are not met, for example replacing buildings with new ones of a similar scale. The mayor intends to work with boroughs to ensure that access to the green belt for the public is maintained, and that the quality of it is enhanced.
The plan will also require the current amount of cycling provision to be doubled in many new developments, as Khan seeks to encourage people to use alternative means of transport across London. Car-free developments are to be the starting point for new sites that will be well connected by public transport, with parking only being provided for disabled people. Any parking that is provided will be required to support electric or ultra-low emission vehicles.
Local authorities will be asked to support proposals for new pubs to be built in appropriate locations as part of the mayor's plans to stimulate town centre regeneration, as an average of 81 pubs have been lost per year since 2001. Developers of new residential properties near pubs will be responsible for ensuring that the properties are adequately soundproofed, meaning that the cost does not fall on pubs, clubs and live music venues.
Khan has also announced that there will be no fracking in London, as the extraction of shale gas represents a toxic health risk. Councils will be told to block the exploration, appraisal or production of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing. Although there are no current fracking applications in London, one company has said that it was looking at a site under an industrial estate in the capital. The mayor said there was "absolutely no place for fracking in London" and applications must be refused.
