Policy 4.10 New and emerging economic sectors

Strategic, planning decisions and LDF preparation

A The Mayor will, and boroughs and other relevant agencies and stakeholders should:

a support innovation and research, including strong promotion of London as a research location and encourage the application of the products of research in the capital’s economic development

b give strong support for London’s higher and further education institutions and their development, recognising their needs for accommodation and the special status of the parts of London where they are located, particularly the Bloomsbury/Euston and Strand university precincts

c work with developers, businesses and, where appropriate, higher education institutions and other relevant research and innovation agencies to ensure availability of a range of workspaces, including start-up space, co-working space and ‘grow-on’ space

d support the development of green enterprise districts such as that proposed in the Thames Gateway

e promote clusters of research and innovation as focal points for research and collaboration between businesses, HEIs, other relevant research and innovation agencies and industry

f support the evolution of London’s science, technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector, promote clusters such as Tech City and Med City^[1] ensuring the availability of suitable workspaces including television and film studio capacity.

^[1] See Glossary

4.53 New economic sectors will emerge and grow in importance between now and 2036. The Mayor’s ‘Smart London’ initiative^[1] complements this trend by promoting new technologies. London has become the European capital of digital technology with an estimated 48,000 jobs^[2] now dependent on the sector and the largest concentration of ICT and software firms in Europe^[3]. The government’s commitment to invest in the Tech City Open Institute hub in the City Fringe should be complemented by strategic planning frameworks and local plans that enable entrepreneurs to locate and expand there and provide the flexibility and range of space that this new sector needs, including affordable space. Life sciences have also been identified as an important growth sector for London, reflecting the capital’s research and teaching strengths. Within this sector there is particular demand for affordable ‘grow-on’ space (including laboratory space) to ensure London retains the innovations emerging from London based universities. This Plan provides the planning framework to complement the EDS and support development through the planning system including use of planning obligations and land acquisition powers, for example, to support biomedical research and development. This Plan’s managed approach to provision for offices and industrial type activities will help underpin innovative firms seeking affordable and more flexible hybrid, incubator and accelerator premises^[4], as well as ensuring there is adequate capacity to accommodate innovation among more established businesses and those which have bespoke requirements for science and technology park type environments (see Policies 2.7, 2.17, 4.2, 4.4).

4.54 The Mayor strongly supports measures to secure and develop London’s leading role as a centre of higher and further education of national and international importance. These are important economic sectors in their own right with a key part to play in developing London’s world city offer, as well as having considerable potential for greater synergies in fostering innovation in the private, and other parts of the public sector such as the National Health Service. Policy 2.11 underpins the Mayor’s commitment to addressing their accommodation needs in the distinct circumstances of central London, and more generally through Policies 3.2, 3.17 and 3.18. He will support a broadly based forum of academic and other stakeholders to address these and other requirements.

4.55 The Mayor’s commitment to tackling the effects of climate change through new development and his support for retrofitting the substantial stock of existing buildings mean that London is well positioned to accommodate expansion of the ‘green’ business sector, with opportunities in renewable energy, low carbon technology, waste reduction and recycling. For example, the Mayor is promoting a ‘Green Enterprise District’ in the Thames Gateway stretching from the Lower Lee to London Riverside, a concept that could be extended to other parts of London.

4.55A Tax breaks for film making have contributed to a 75 per cent increase in the number of films made in the UK^[5]. The Mayor supports the production of media content in London and the economic boost this business can bring and aims to ensure that London has the television and film studio capacity to support this role.^[6]

^[1] For details see /programmes-strategies/business-and-economy/science-and-technology/smart-london

^[2] Centre for London. A Tale of Tech City – The Future of Inner East London’s Digital Economy. Centre forLondon, 2012

^[3] Dun & Bradstreet (SiC 737) fDi Intelligence in: GLA Intelligence. London’s Digital Economy, GLA, 2012.

^[4] Ramidus Consulting Limited, Roger Tym & Partners. London Office Policy Review 2012. GLA, 2012. URS et al, Supporting Places of Work: Incubators, Accelerators and Co-working Spaces. GLA 2014

^[5] Oxford Economics. Economic Impact of the UK film Industry, Oxford Economics, 2010

^[6] Mayor of London. 2020 Vision. The greatest city on earth. Ambitions for London by Boris Johnson. GLA 2013