The Greater London Authority has selected Creative Database Projects (CDP) to develop the London Development Database (LDD), a new system to monitor the London Plan developed by the Mayor of London (Ken Livingstone), which sets out the framework to guide London’s spatial development.
The LDD facilitates the collection of planning permission information from the 33 Local London Authorities, storing it in one central web enabled system. The information is then available for strategic monitoring by the GLA, Local London authorities and the ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) to measure performance with the London Plan and measure how London is developing to meet the needs of Londoners, especially important when considering the predicted growth in London’s population.
The database, viewable in map format, will allow permission sites to be overlaid with a variety of spatial data such as open space, public transport access, air noise and the London flood plain.
CDP won the tender in 2004 after a full OJEU procurement process and has provided the analysis, design and development for the LDD. The first phase of the project is already live with the LDD being used by the GLA and the borough planners, and the intention is to make it available to the general public in early 2005. The system is deployed using web technology so no software is required at the user end.
The database has been developed using a GIS with an Oracle spatial database that enables the capture and plotting of geographic data. Specialist screens are built using Java Struts and Ordnance Survey supplies the mapping information. Business Objects tools provide powerful reporting facilities that will be available to all users of the database over the web.
Once the implementation project is complete, CDP and the GLA have a partnership agreement to promote the use of such a database to other regional planning authorities.
