ADD2468 London Employment Sites Database

1.1. To implement the Mayor’s new London Plan objective to deliver Good Growth in the capital it is essential that there is sufficient capacity in terms of land and premises to accommodate projected future growth in employment.

1.2. The London Employment Sites Database (LESD) is a comprehensive database of sites (land and premises) with identified capacity to accommodate employment-generating development. It records recently completed employment developments and those in the planning pipeline in London.

1.3. It is part of a regular series with new editions produced approximately every four years, the last edition being in 2017 to inform the Mayor’s draft new London Plan and borough-level employment projections.

1.4. The database will provide the evidence to ensure that there is enough land and premises in the right locations in all parts of London so that the benefits of economic success are shared more equitably across the capital. This will help to enhance London’s global economic competitiveness and ensure that economic success is shared amongst all Londoners.

1.5. The database will also help to foster successful sustainable mixed-use places that make the best use of land and support the implementation of the Mayor’s new London Plan and his strategies for Transport and Economic Development. It will also include an updated assessment of employment densities for different types of employment space.

1.6. It complements other work within the GLA and TfL including:

• assessments of London’s housing capacity and industrial land supply;

• assessments of employment capacity to support spatial planning in Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks;

• borough-level employment projections for London produced by GLA Economics; and

• strategic modelling and forecasting by Transport for London to support the integration of development and transport.

2.1. The objective of the ADD is to agree the procurement of specialist technical services to produce the 2021 update to the London Employment Sites Database.

2.2. The expected outcomes include:

• a comprehensive map and database of sites in London which have capacity to accommodate employment-related development, with details of the location, scale, employment use type and potential employment capacity of each site;

• a scenario-based analysis of potential employment densities, considering the implications of home working and social distancing as a result of COVID-19;

• a standardised and user-friendly tech-based process for collecting, inputting and exporting employment sites data, complementing the new London Development Database and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment;

• a technical report to be published on the GLA website containing the methodology, the employment capacity estimates and analysis of employment densities;

• LESD data is a key component in producing the GLA’s borough-level employment projections (due to be undertaken spring/summer 2021); and

• the LESD also informs Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks, boroughs’ Local Plans, and the implementation and monitoring of the London Plan, the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and the Economic Development Strategy.

3.1. Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Greater London Authority must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not

3.2. It is considered that there will be no negative equalities impacts associated with this decision.

3.3. The London Employment Sites Database will provide evidence to ensure that there is enough land and premises in all parts of London providing the potential for new employment opportunities in a range of uses. The work will support the Mayor’s objectives to ensure that the benefits of economic success are shared more equitably across the capital and amongst all Londoners in line with his broader objectives for Good Growth set out in the draft new London Plan.

3.4. The final report would be published on the GLA website in an accessible format.

Key risks and issues

4.1. Risks and issues related to this decision are set out below:

Scoring based on GLA Risk Management Framework:

Likelihood: 1= remote; 2 = improbable; 3 = probable; 4 = highly likely

Impact: 1 = moderate; 2 = significant; 3 = substantial; 4 = catastrophic

Total score = likelihood x impact

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2. The delivery of the London Employment Sites Database outlined in this decision links to the following Mayoral strategies and priorities by:

• supporting the implementation of the Mayor’s new London Plan:

o to foster Good Growth, enhance London’s global economic competitiveness and ensure that economic success is shared more equitably across all parts of London and amongst all Londoners

o to plan for sufficient employment space in the right locations to support economic development, regeneration and provide access to employment opportunities in all parts of London

o to make the best use of land and create successful sustainable mixed-use places.

• enabling the production of long run borough-wide employment projections for London

• supporting the implementation of the Transport Strategy by providing robust and up-to-date information on employment capacity in all parts of the capital for TfL’s strategic modelling and forecasting.

• supporting the implementation of the Economic Development Strategy objectives to ensure that the London economy will grow, thrive and is open to business and that London provides opportunities for all Londoners so that everyone should be able to benefit from all our city offers.

• complementing the work of the London Recovery Board including objectives to rebuild London’s economy following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conflicts of interest

4.3 There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1 Approval is sought for the expenditure of up to £35,000 for specialist technical services. This includes up to £25,000 for interim outputs (including the draft database and map) and borough engagement in 2020/21 and £10,000 for final outputs (including the final database, map and technical report) in 2021/22.

5.2 The costs will be across financial years as stated and will be funded from the London Plan programme budget.

5.3 As this work relates to consultancy contract, officers have to ensure that the requirements of the Authority’s Contract & Funding Code are adhered to and that the requirements relating to consultancy services within the Authority’s Financial Regulations and Expenses & Benefits Framework are adhered to. Any changes to this proposal, including budgetary implications, will be subject to further approval via the Authority’s decision-making process.

6.1 The decision requested of the Assistant Director concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

• Pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

• Consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and

• Consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2 The Authority also has a subsidiary power pursuant to Section 34 of the Act to do anything which is calculated to facilitate or, is conductive or incidental to the exercise of any of the statutory functions of the Authority. In this case this piece of work is incidental to its section 30 powers defined above as well as its powers under section 334 and 339 of the Act.

6.3 Section 334 of the Act requires the Mayor to prepare and publish a Spatial Development Strategy (known as the London Plan). Section 339 of the Act requires the Mayor to keep the London Plan under review, especially matters which may be expected to affect the development of Greater London or the planning of its development. In this case, the decision to carry out this piece of work may reasonably be regarded as facilitating, being conductive or incidental to, the exercise of the Mayor’s power detailed above.

6.4 In taking the decisions requested, the Assistant Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). Throughout the process outline above in particular paragraph 3, due regard will need to be had to the legislation outlined above and equality impact considerations and mitigations.