London Development Agency
The London Development Agency (LDA) was created in July 2000, following establishment of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the introduction of devolved governance for the capital. The LDA was formed as a functional body of the GLA with responsibility for helping the Mayor of London to support the growth of London’s economy in line with the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy for the capital.
To achieve its goals, the LDA worked across local boundaries to get the best results for London as a whole and in partnership with the boroughs and businesses and third sector organisations in the capital. Details of the LDA’s business plans were published annually in a corporate plan and summary information on its achievements and accounts in an annual report.
Following the election of a new Mayor of London in 2008 and the appointment of a new Board and Chief Executive at the LDA, the LDA underwent a comprehensive programme of review and change. As part of this, the LDA’s new Board introduced a new approach to deciding how best to set priorities and decide on investments in order to maximise impact and deliver the best possible value for money.
The LDA’s new Board focused the LDA on six key investment themes:
- Getting London working;
- Supporting London's businesses;
- Building better places in London;
- Investing in London's low carbon future;
- Getting the most from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
- Promoting London to the world.
The LDA’s work in line with the themes was detailed in its annual reports.
In October 2010, the Government announced that, in line with the Mayor’s devolution proposals published in June 2010, LDA functions would be folded into the GLA by April 2012 as part of a wider reorganisation of the GLA Group to make it as streamlined and fit for purpose as possible. This process has been completed and the LDA was abolished on 31 March 2012.
By the time of its closure, the LDA had been in existence for a little under 12 years. Its investments, strategic influence and innovative approaches to some of the capital’s most difficult challenges had a significant impact on London and on the careers and lives of individual Londoners.
Archived website
The National Archives preserves digital public sector information by regularly archiving websites. If you are looking for further information about the work of the LDA, you may wish to look on the National Archives website.
