Mayor's masterplan to help save small shops

The Evening Standard's campaign to save small shops scored another success today when Ken Livingstone vowed to protect them in his masterplan for development in the capital.

The Mayor has reached agreement with London's 33 borough councils to amend the London Plan - his strategy document for the city's long-term development - to safeguard independent traders.

He gave the example of the massive redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle shopping centre, where he said the aim would be to strike deals - known as section 106 agreements - with commercial developers to reserve some retail units for local traders.

Mr Livingstone said: "Section 106 agreements could be used to provide subsidised and below-market cost rental outlets for shops that would not otherwise be able to afford them.

"We would have a chance of keeping some of the old local traders."

He said City Hall planning officials would now begin drawing up a consultation on the proposals in conjunction with the London Councils organisation.

Two other amendments are also proposed to the London Plan: a " presumption" against housing developments in back gardens, and moves to prevent the demolition of "sound buildings of character".

The Mayor said he had been appalled at the proposal to erect "breathtakingly tedious" tower blocks at the southern end of Willesden Lane in Kilburn.

Tory assembly member and MP Bob Neill said he was delighted at the Mayor's acceptance of the need to protect back gardens but attacked Labour MPs who he said had twice voted recently in Parliament against private member's bills offering similar protection.

Evening Standard's campaign was launched in March last year in response to growing concern about the accelerating loss of small, independently owned shops because of rising rents, rates, competition from supermarkets, rigid council parking policies and red tape.

Since then it has attracted the backing of thousands of shoppers and traders across London and has forced local authorities to look more closely at the issue.

Other victories have included the Government's announcement in May that it would scrap tax breaks for landlords who keep retail premises empty.

Last month Kensington & Chelsea council adopted a radical package of measures to save small shops and protect the individualistic character of streets.

The proposals, drawn up by a panel that included Peter Simon, founder of the Monsoon fashion chain, and Sir Terence Conran, included: free 30-minute parking meters so people can "pop in" to small shops; forcing developers to include "affordable retail" as part of their plans and a commitment to take tough and swift action against developers who flout planning rules.

The campaign has also sparked a major parliamentary investigation into the decline of small shops.

A panel of senior Conservative MPs and leading figures from the retail world will take evidence over the next month, with the aim of producing recommendations on how to reverse the trend early next year.

Some of the findings are likely to become official Conservative policy for the next general election.