§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average residential density was of housing developments in the London part of the Thames Gateway that received planning permission in the last two years; and what estimate he has made of the average residential density of new housing developments in the London part of the Thames Gateway which will be needed to secure 50,000 new dwelling units within that area over the next 15 years. [83948]
§ Mr. McNultyThe information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The average density of developments completed between 1997 and 2000 in the boroughs that make up the London part of the Thames Gateway, as defined by RPG9a, are:
Borough Dwellings per hectare Greenwich: 47 Newham: 54 Barking and Dagenham 43 Bexley: 30 Havering: 34 Tower Hamlets: 107 Lewisham: 56 These figures are borough wide averages. Not all of the boroughs listed above are entirely within Thames Gateway.
Guidance on future levels of housing provision for these boroughs, up to 2016, is set out in the emerging London Plan (Spatial Development Strategy). The London Plan, once finalised, will provide the strategic planning framework for London.
The draft London Plan also contains policies directed at maximising the potential of sites. The emerging strategic policy framework for residential density is that in urban and central areas, densities of between 50 and 275 units per hectare should be provided. For suburban areas the density range should be between 30 and 65 units per hectare.