London mayor Boris Johnson has issued new guidance for planners on meeting the capital’s social needs.
The social infrastructure supplementary planning guidance aims to tackle challenges regarding health, education, sport and faith.
The guidance advocates places that are designed to be inclusive regardless of age, and to promote community involvement.
New neighbourhoods should incorporate facilities such as health, education, community, cultural, play, recreation, sports, faith and emergency facilities to reflect changing lifestyles.
The guidance places particular emphasis on provision of schools, as growth in pupil numbers in the capital is twice the national average. It calls for both the expansion of existing schools and the building of new ones.
There is also an emphasis on care for the elderly. Planners are encouraged to shift away from hospital-based services towards care provided in community settings nearer to people’s homes.
Sir Edward Lister, deputy mayor for policy and planning, said: “London’s incredible population boom is testament to the fact that this is the best big city on the planet. For that to continue, we need to make sure that we have enough schools, GP surgeries, community venues, green spaces and places of worship and that they are situated in the right place.”
