To debate a Motion submitted by the Opposition Group in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

 

9 – Opposition Motion by the Conservative Group regarding the Isle Of Dogs & South Poplar Opportunity Area Planning Framework

 

Councillor Andrew Wood moved and Councillor Peter Golds seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

 

Councillor Rachel Blake moved and Mayor John Biggs seconded the following amendment to the motion to be debated as tabled:

 

(Deleted text scored out, added text underlined)

 

The Council notes:

 

The release of the Isle of Dogs & South Poplar Opportunity Area Planning Framework in May 2018 together with the accompanying Transport Strategy, Local Connections Strategy and the Development Infrastructure Funding Study (DIFS).

 

This contains the following total forecasts for the number of new homes in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar area (Poplar, Blackwall & Cubitt Town, Canary Wharf, Island Gardens wards)by 2041.

 

Low 312,000 (19,500 permitted and 11,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

High 387,000 (19,500 permitted and 18,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

Maximum 49,000 (19,500 permitted and 29,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

Plus 110,000 new jobs in all three options

 

The Council further notes that in the same area that:

 

• The draft LBTH Local Plan sets a minimum housing target of 30,601 new homes
• The draft GLA London Plan sets a minimum housing target of 29,000 new homes

 

That the GLA is responding to the draft LBTH Local Plan evidence by reducing the overall target for new homes in the GLA emerging London Plan.

 

That development while slowing has not stopped and that new schemes are at pre-application or formal application stagebeing considered on Poplar high street, Marsh Wall, Skylines, Westferry Printworks, Quay House and that One Housing Group has initiated discussions on potentially re-developing the future offour identifiedsites on the island, which could involve some re-development.

 

 

 

The Council notes that the Development Infrastructure Funding Study is recommending the following investment in new infrastructure (gross spend).

 

£'000
By Category of Spending	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/2021	2021/2022	First five years
Utilities	£2,728	£11,088	£8,838	£11,838	£11,838	£46,330
Transport & Local Connections	£139	£9,806	£18,756	£23,830	£17,164	£69,695
Education	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£144,730
Fire, Ambulance, Police, CCTV	£2,930	£0	£0	£0	£0	£2,930
Health	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£7,630
Leisure	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£23,820
Community facilities	£738	£738	£5,411	£5,411	£5,411	£17,709
Total Low	£41,771	£56,868	£68,241	£76,315	£69,649	£312,844
By Priority of Spending	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/2021	2021/2022	First five years
Critical	£2,450	£17,310	£20,310	£18,185	£20,185	£78,440
Essential	£35,974	£39,141	£47,314	£55,313	£48,147	£225,889
High	£3,347	£417	£417	£917	£417	£5,515
Desirable	£0	£0	£200	£1,900	£900	£3,000
	£41,771	£56,868	£68,241	£76,315	£69,649	£312,844

 

Of note is that most of the 2017/18 spending did not happen and that with the exception of the South Dock bridge none of the 2018/19 spending is underway.

 

That the Council has already identified infrastructure investment in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar area:

 

• South Dock Bridge preparation and feasibility
• Crossharbour DLR improvements

 

The OAPF confirms the following investment is already committed by Transport for London and LB Tower Hamlets:

 

• New higher capacity DLR trains, running every 2 minutes at peak times
• Bus service and reliability enhancements
• 2018 opening of Elizabeth Line
• Major Capital Investment in Delivering Healthy Streets
• Investing in the Cycle Network and CS3

 

That the DIFS describes the priorities as follows:

 

1. Critical enabling. This category includes all infrastructure that is critical to facilitate a development. Without these works development cannot proceed.                                                                  
2. Essential mitigation. This category includes all infrastructure that we believe is necessary to mitigate the impacts arising from the development.                                                                   
3. High priority. This category includes all infrastructure that support wider strategic or site-specific objectives which are set out in planning policy but would not necessarily prevent development from occurring, although that would need to be considered on a case by case basis            
4. Desirable. This defines all projects that are deemed to be of benefit but would not prevent, on balance, the development from occurring or from being acceptable if they were not taken forward.                                                                     

 

That these growth numbers and the infrastructure required are unprecedented within London and therefore require an unprecedented response reminiscent of the London Docklands Development Corporation robust intervention from Local, Regional and National Government to step up to the challenge.

 

That the Mayor has already established:

• Construction Engagement Forum on the Isle of Dogs
• Framework for allocating infrastructure funding

 

That the Neighbourhood Plan for the Isle of Dogs was recommended for refusal by an Independent Examiner because of a ‘fundamental flaw in the plan’ where ‘the infrastructure evidence is simply not robust or proportionate to support a key policy’.

 

The Council therefore calls on the Mayor to:

 

• Respond to the GLA’s Opportunity Area Planning Framework consultation setting out preferred terms of an LBTH Delivery Board.
• Work with the GLA to identify maximum feasible delivery resources for infrastructure in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Area for the benefit of current and future residents.
• Work with the GLA family, Developers and Utilities providers to ensure that disruption caused by construction is minimised for current and future residents
• Continue to monitor the evidence base for the infrastructure need for the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Area.

 

• Set up the recommended LBTH Delivery Board which will include the GLA, TfL, developers and representatives from the community

 

• Set up the Community Development Panel who will nominate representatives to sit on the main LBTH Delivery Board

 

• Set up the recommended dedicated Delivery Team whose sole responsibility will be to deliver infrastructure / projects as outlined in the documents

 

• Set up the Utility Providers Forum

 

• Set up the Developer Forum

 

• Establish a Construction Charter

 

• Initiate the recommended Future Studies (p119 of the OAPF) which the GLA describe as urgent

 

In addition, if the Critical Enabling works described as “Without these works development cannot proceed,” are not undertaken then new planning applications be refused on the grounds of cumulative over-development.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and agreed.

 

The motion as amended was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Council notes:

 

The release of the Isle of Dogs & South Poplar Opportunity Area Planning Framework in May 2018 together with the accompanying Transport Strategy, Local Connections Strategy and the Development Infrastructure Funding Study (DIFS).

 

This contains the following totalforecasts for the number of new homes in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar area (Poplar, Blackwall & Cubitt Town, Canary Wharf, Island Gardens wards)by 2041.

 

Low 31,000 (19,500 permitted and 11,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

High 38000 (19,500 permitted and 18,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

Maximum 49,000 (19,500 permitted and 29,500 future potential, with 23,000 existing)

Plus 110,000 new jobs in all three options

 

The Council further notes that in the same area that:

 

• The draft LBTH Local Plan sets a minimum housing target of 30,601 new homes
• The draft GLA London Plan sets a minimum housing target of 29,000 new homes

 

That the GLA is responding to the draft LBTH Local Plan evidence by reducing the overall target for new homes in the GLA emerging London Plan.

 

That development while slowing has not stopped and that schemes are at pre-application or formal application stage on Marsh Wall, Skylines, Westferry Printworks, Quay House and that One Housing Group has initiated discussions on the future of four identified sites on the island, which could involve some re-development.

 

The Council notes that the Development Infrastructure Funding Study is recommending the following investment in new infrastructure (gross spend).

 

£'000
By Category of Spending	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/2021	2021/2022	First five years
Utilities	£2,728	£11,088	£8,838	£11,838	£11,838	£46,330
Transport & Local Connections	£139	£9,806	£18,756	£23,830	£17,164	£69,695
Education	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£28,946	£144,730
Fire, Ambulance, Police, CCTV	£2,930	£0	£0	£0	£0	£2,930
Health	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£1,526	£7,630
Leisure	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£4,764	£23,820
Community facilities	£738	£738	£5,411	£5,411	£5,411	£17,709
Total Low	£41,771	£56,868	£68,241	£76,315	£69,649	£312,844
By Priority of Spending	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/2021	2021/2022	First five years
Critical	£2,450	£17,310	£20,310	£18,185	£20,185	£78,440
Essential	£35,974	£39,141	£47,314	£55,313	£48,147	£225,889
High	£3,347	£417	£417	£917	£417	£5,515
Desirable	£0	£0	£200	£1,900	£900	£3,000
	£41,771	£56,868	£68,241	£76,315	£69,649	£312,844

 

That the Council has already identified infrastructure investment in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar area:

 

• South Dock Bridge preparation and feasibility
• Crossharbour DLR improvements

 

The OAPF confirms the following investment is already committed by Transport for London and LB Tower Hamlets:

 

• New higher capacity DLR trains, running every 2 minutes at peak times
• Bus service and reliability enhancements
• 2018 opening of Elizabeth Line
• Major Capital Investment in Delivering Healthy Streets
• Investing in the Cycle Network and CS3

 

That the DIFS describes the priorities as follows:

 

1.   Critical enabling. This category includes all infrastructure that is critical to facilitate a development. Without these works development cannot proceed.                                                                  

2.   Essential mitigation. This category includes all infrastructure that we believe is necessary to mitigate the impacts arising from the development.                                                                   

3.   High priority. This category includes all infrastructure that support wider strategic or site-specific objectives which are set out in planning policy but would not necessarily prevent development from occurring, although that would need to be considered on a case by case basis            

4.   Desirable. This defines all projects that are deemed to be of benefit but would not prevent, on balance, the development from occurring or from being acceptable if they were not taken forward.                                                                     

 

That these growth numbers and the infrastructure required are unprecedented within London and therefore require robust intervention from Local, Regional and National Government to step up to the challenge.

 

That the Mayor has already established:

• Construction Engagement Forum on the Isle of Dogs
• Framework for allocating infrastructure funding

 

That the Neighbourhood Plan for the Isle of Dogs was recommended for refusal by an Independent Examiner because of a ‘fundamental flaw in the plan’ where ‘the infrastructure evidence is simply not robust or proportionate to support a key policy’.

 

The Council therefore calls on the Mayor to:

 

• Respond to the GLA’s Opportunity Area Planning Framework consultation setting out preferred terms of an LBTH Delivery Board.
• Work with the GLA to identify maximum feasible delivery resources for infrastructure in the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Area for the benefit of current and future residents.
• Work with the GLA family, Developers and Utilities providers to ensure that disruption caused by construction is minimised for current and future residents
• Continue to monitor the evidence base for the infrastructure need for the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Area.

 

In addition, if the Critical Enabling works described as “Without these works development cannot proceed,” are not undertaken then new planning applications be refused on the grounds of cumulative over-development.