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East London Green Grid

London

Evaluation

The scale and ambition of the East London Green Grid is enormous. With an investment profile on an international scale, it has the potential to transform the London Thames Gateway area.

Planning guidance

A strong planning framework has been put in place, and this has been instrumental in securing the involvement of boroughs and local partners.

A bespoke policy has been established in the London Plan (spatial development strategy). This policy is developed in a Supplementary Planning Guidance. Whilst this is a non-statutory document, it can be taken into account as a material planning consideration. Given the importance of the planning system in a growth area, and the implications for developer contributions, this approach is key.

Local partnerships

The decision to produce Area Frameworks which reflect the local geography has reinforced a partnership message and cross-boundary working, as few organisations fit within the geographical boundaries.

  • this can be regarded as strength - however, in the Lee Valley there is a lead agency that overlaps with the geography of the Area Framework. This has resulted in a large number of priority projects falling within this area. Given the timescale of the East London Green Grid, this should even out over time
  • the area partnerships are clearly a way to build local ownership of what could have been a nebulous project. As such, they could be replicated successfully in other metropolitan areas.

Dissemination

One of the East London Green Grid’s strengths is its suite of high quality publication materials, their ease of accessibility, and the insight they give. It is not always easy to justify investment in marketing, intellectual property and background materials, but this programme serves to illustrate that this is invaluable.

The connectivity challenge

Despite innovative projects, achieving the connectivity envisaged by the East London Green Grid vision remains a considerable challenge. Natural corridors such as rivers produce obvious linkages, and good use is already being made of these.

This situation is not unique to London – most metropolitan areas have similar structural issues. The river environment and green streets are often the key to achieving urban green infrastructure connectivity. This suggests a strong role for the Environment Agency and borough council arboriculture officers in green infrastructure planning.

The funding challenge

The changing economic circumstances in London, particularly since the 2008/2009 recession, have led to development slowing and a resulting loss of funding potential through planning gain. It has also raised the question as to whether skills, training and employment should become an East London Green Grid priority - as is the case, for instance, in northern regions.

A key learning point is the Greater London Authority’s robust approach to public funding being tied to a commitment to long-term maintenance.