The Transport and Place Scrutiny Panel were scheduled to meet to discuss the progress of the new Local Plan, and to review the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) programme for 2025-26.

Local Plan Update

The panel were scheduled to consider an update on the progress and next steps in the development of the new Local Plan, which will replace the 2014 Core Strategy. The report pack states that the draft Local Plan has been under preparation since 2023, and that officers have been preparing the Plan based on feedback from the 2023 Big Themes consultation, the 2024 Call for Sites and engagement with other council officers and elected members.

The draft Local Plan was being finalised for publication in October, with public consultation scheduled for November 2025, subject to approval by the Cabinet and Full Council.

The report pack notes that the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which governs the production of Local Plans, and that this meant that there has been a short delay whilst some of the evidence base was revised to take this into account.

The draft Local Plan contains a vision and 16 objectives setting out the approach to development and land use in the borough over 15 years, structured in 8 chapters:

• Places (including Site Allocations)
• Housing
• Economy
• Town Centres
• Design and Heritage
• Environment
• Climate Emergency
• Transport

The report pack states that the Site Allocations in the draft Local Plan are based on a number of sources, including the 2024 Call for Sites , previously allocated sites from the 2006 Unitary Development Plan, those proposed for allocation in the 2021 Site Allocations Plan, as well as sites earmarked for potential development in planning frameworks for Eltham and Plumstead.

The Call for Sites yielded 141 responses. These sites were then subjected to a sifting process to consider whether they were deliverable or developable, in line with the government's national Planning Practice Guidance (PPG).

The report pack states that the Draft Plan consultation will provide another opportunity for stakeholders to give their views on the Local Plan, with opportunities to engage both online and in-person and through a variety of means.

Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and funding

The panel were scheduled to consider a report on the council's Local Implementation Plan (LIP) programme for 2025-26.

The report pack states that the Mayor's Transport Strategy (MTS) sets out his vision to create a future London that is a better place for all who live, work and travel in the capital, and that at the heart of the MTS for London are the twin aims that 80 per cent of journeys in London are made by active, efficient and sustainable modes by 2041, and that London achieves the MTS Vision Zero ambition of nobody being killed or seriously injured on London's roads.

The LIP programme allows boroughs to receive guaranteed funding for Safer Corridors and Neighbourhoods and apply for discretionary funding for several other workstreams.

LIP funding is available in the following programmes:

• Safer Corridors and Neighbourhoods
• Safer Streets
• Bus Priority
• Better Bus Partnerships
• Safer Cycleway Network Development
• Cycle Parking
• Cycle Training
• Principal Road Renewal
• Bridge Assessment and Strengthening
• Micromobility Parking
• Liveable Neighbourhoods

The council submitted its three-year LIP delivery plan in late 2024 / early 2025, meaning the current 2025/2026 financial year is 'year one' of the current programme of works.

The initial allocation was summarised as follows:

The report pack lists the individual schemes which form each programme of works.

The report pack also notes that following continual dialogue with TfL, the initial allocation was further refined to produce an updated list of schemes, resulting in an updated suite of proposals which primarily includes additional bus priority schemes, and a greater level of funding than its initial allocation.

The updated, agreed LIP allocation as outlined in the updated LIP award letter is as follows:

The individual schemes which form each programme of works are listed in the report pack.

The report pack states that changes to the funding allocation are permitted at any time in-year, and that as of writing, one formal Change Request has been submitted to TfL.

The report pack also notes that every year, TfL monitors progress by producing the LIP MTS Outcomes Borough Data Pack, and that the latest pack from December 2024 shows the borough is on track towards 75% of the borough to be walking, cycling and using public transport (currently at 62%) and 72% of the population in Greenwich to be within 400m of a strategic cycle network by 2041 (currently at 37%).

Declarations of Interest

The panel were scheduled to note the list of councillors' memberships on outside bodies, joint committees and school governing bodies, and to declare any personal or financial interests in items on the agenda.

The report pack includes a list of the outside bodies, joint committees and school governing bodies that each member of Council has been appointed to by the Council or the Leader. This list includes:

• Councillor Charlie Davis: no listed memberships
• Councillor Cathy Dowse: Greenwich Service Solutions, Montbelle School
• Councillor David Gardner: Local Government Information Unit, St Luke's (Charlton) Parochial Charities
• Councillor Maisie Richards Cottell: Greenwich Theatre Board
• Councillor Denise Scott-McDonald: Greenwich Peninsula Management Company Ltd
• Councillor Aidan Smith: Sir John Evelyn Charity

The report pack explains personal and financial interests as defined in the Council's Code of Conduct, and notes that members must declare the existence and nature of any personal interest at the start of the meeting, or when the interest becomes apparent.