Last updated: 19/06/2025
The draft City Plan 2040 provides a planning and policy framework that will guide the growth of the Square Mile over the next 16 years.
It will underpin the City of London Corporation’s strategic priorities, including powering a growing, vibrant and competitive economy. Key policy drivers include provision for an additional 1.2m sqm of office floorspace by 2040 and transforming the Square Mile into a seven-day-a-week cultural and leisure destination.
Early engagement
The draft City Plan 2040 was approved by the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee for consultation on 31 January 2024 and its Court of Common Council on 8 March 2024.
Ahead of the Planning and Transportation Committee meeting, the CPA submitted a letter emphasising the City’s unique role in delivering economic growth for London and the UK. The letter formed late addendum items for the meeting and can be read here (page 4).
Formal and public consultation on the draft City Plan 2040
The City of London Corporation conducted its Regulation 19 consultation on the draft City Plan 2040 from 18 April to 17 June 2024. On behalf of members, CPA submitted a response welcoming the City Corporation’s vision and proposing a number of recommendations to ensure that there is sufficient Grade A floorspace in the City and better balance the cultural benefits delivered by major developments to ensure that they remain viable and deliverable.
You can read our response here and view the initial consultation website here.
Submission to the Secretary of State
Following the consultation, the City Corporation made some very minor modifications to the draft City Plan 2040 prior to submission for to the Secretary of State for examination. The draft Plan was submitted on 29 August 2024 and can be viewed here.
Additional representations
CPA submitted additional representations to the Planning Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions ahead of the Examination in Public (EiP) of the draft City Plan 2040, proposing that the Plan should target 1.9m sqm net additional office floorspace by 2042 in addition to adopting the recommendations of our Cycling & the City report.
You can read the Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions here and our Further Matter Statements here.
Public hearings (March – May 2025)
The first set of EIP hearings from 25 to 27 March 2025 covered legal requirements, the wider spatial strategy, offices and office floorspace targets, and discussions on retail, culture and design. The CPA was represented at the hearings by CPA Chair Ross Sayers (Head of Development Management, Landsec), CPA Board planning advisor Jeremy Randall (Partner, Newmark) and the Newmark team, with Richard Ward (Director, DP9) also giving evidence.
The second set of EiP hearings took place from 29 April to 1 May 2025 and covered a range of matters including sustainability, greening, climate resilience and transport. CPA was represented at the hearings by CPA Board planning advisor Jeremy Randall (Partner, Newmark) who presented the findings of our Cycling & the City report, as well as CPA Board member David Hart (Director, Momentum Transport Consultancy) and the Newmark team.
Modifications and additional representations on heritage and tall buildings
Ahead of the rescheduled EiP hearings on heritage and tall buildings, the City of London Corporation published modifications to its Strategic Visual Impact Assessment, the St Paul’s Cathedral and Monument Heritage Impact Assessments and the Tall Building Topic Paper on 9 May 2025. You can read more about these modifications here.
The CPA submitted a further matters statement on these additional addendums on 30 May 2025. CPA supported the work of City Corporation officers to identify additional sites within the Square Mile which could provide additional office accommodation, finding the proposals for additional massing appropriate and in keeping with the London Plan. However, we noted that our Regulation 19 representations in respect of heritage and tall buildings matters still stand. You can read our statement here.
Public hearings (June 2025)
The EiP hearings concluded on 12 June, with the policies relating to heritage and tall buildings being discussed over two days on 10 and 11 June. CPA was represented at the sessions by CPA Board planning advisor Jeremy Randall (Partner, Newmark) with AXA IM Alts, British Land and Brookfield Properties amongst the CPA member companies giving evidence.
Next steps
The Inspector is due to publish his final report in the autumn, with a consultation on minor amendments to the draft Plan expected within a similar timeframe.
