Evaluating the contribution of planning gain to an inclusive housing legacy: a case study of London 2012

When London won the bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2005 it heralded a new moment in games making where it was claimed that the hosting of a mega event would be galvanized to create an inclusive legacy. Affordable Housing was a key dimension of this legacy. This article seeks to interrogate four key policy assumptions that underpinned the strategy for delivering affordable housing associated with the Growth Dependent Planning Paradigm. Firstly, that rising land values would create the potential to capture value for public good. Secondly, that S106 agreements (Planning gain) introduced in the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act would capture this value. Thirdly, that state and market would work in a symbiotic relationship reconciling private profit with public good and fourthly, that governance of planning should be overseen by an appointed rather than elected body. This article interrogates these assumptions through a longitudinal analysis of planning applications between 2000 and 2017. It argues that this policy framework has been relatively ineffective in levering public good. The findings are relevant for those interested in planning gain, value capture, urban regeneration and the potential for mega-events to achieve broader social objectives.