Policy information sourced from The London Plan 2021
E8 Sector Growth Opportunities and Clusters
- Employment opportunities for Londoners across a diverse range of sectors should be promoted and supported along with support for the development of business growth and sector-specific opportunities.
- London’s global leadership in tech across all sectors should be maximised.
- The evolution of London’s diverse sectors should be supported, ensuring the availability of suitable workspaces including:
- start-up, incubation and accelerator space for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
- flexible workspace such as co-working space and serviced offices
- conventional space for expanding businesses to grow or move on
- laboratory space and theatre, television and film studio capacity
- affordable workspace in defined circumstances (see Policy E3 Affordable workspace).
- Innovation, including London’s role as a location for research and development should be supported, and collaboration between businesses, higher education providers and other relevant research and innovation organisations should be encouraged.
- London’s higher and further education providers and their development across all parts of London should be promoted. Their integration into regeneration and development opportunities to support social mobility and the growth of emerging sectors should be encouraged.
- Clusters such as Tech City and MedCity should be promoted and the development of new clusters should be supported where opportunities exist, such as CleanTech innovation clusters, Creative Enterprise Zones, film, fashion and design clusters, and green enterprise districts such as in the Thames Gateway.
- In collaboration with the Mayor, boroughs are encouraged to identify and promote the development of Strategic Outer London Development Centres (SOLDC) that have one or more specialist economic functions of greater than sub-regional importance. SOLDCs should be supported by:
- encouraging local innovation to identify and enhance distinct economic strengths
- co-ordinating infrastructure investment
- creating a distinct and attractive business offer and public realm
- ensuring that development complements the growth of town centres and other business locations, and supports the environmental and transport objectives of this Plan
- bringing forward development capacity
- improving Londoners’ access to employment opportunities.
- Boroughs are encouraged to identify and support the growth of sustainably-located employment clusters in inner and outer London.
For more information please see The London Plan 2021