London Local Plan Watch - Autumn 2020
A number of London LPAs are focussing their efforts on reviewing the White Paper, analysing housing numbers and waiting for updates on the London Plan. This means that many Local Plans have been faced with delays.
Key highlights
- London Plan - In February 2020, the Secretary of State wrote to the Mayor to advise that he is taking longer to consider the London Plan. In March, he wrote to the Mayor setting out his considerations and concerns, with the Mayor replying in April to state that he will engage positively and constructively. The following guidance is scheduled to be consulted upon in mid/late September- December 2020:
- Good Quality Homes for all Londoners
- Public London Charter
- Circular Economy Statements
- Whole-life Carbon Assessments
- ‘Be Seen’ Energy Monitoring Guidance
- Brent’s Examination in Public is commencing on 29 September 2020 and Havering is consulting on main modifications to the Local Plan until 12 October. Since the previous update, Tower Hamlets and Hackney have adopted their Local Plans.
Barking and Dagenham
The existing Local Plan (Core Strategy) was adopted in 2010. A second round of Regulation 18 public consultation for the new Draft Local Plan ended in February 2020. The Council planned for the Regulation 19 consultation to take place between April and September 2020, with adoption of the Local Plan expected between January and March 2021. There have been no updates on this to date.
Barnet
Public consultation of the draft Local Plan took place from Monday 27th January 2020 to Monday 16th March 2020.
Regulation 19 consultation is targeted for Winter 2020/21 although there are no specific dates available.
Bexley
The next step in the new Local Plan process is the publication of the proposed submission version Local Plan (Regulation 19), scheduled to take place in Autumn 2020. The Local Plan is anticipated for adoption in November 2021.
Brent
The Regulation 19 Proposed Submission consultation ended in December 2019. Final Draft Local Plan submitted to the Secretary of State on 17th March 2020. The Inspectors have subsequently published their Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs)
The hearings associated with the examination of the Brent Local Plan will commence as virtual events on Tuesday 29 September 2020.
Bromley
Bromley’s Local Plan was adopted in January 2019 and is therefore fairly recent. However, Bromley is faced with one of the most significant uplifts in housing number requirements. The current Local Plan requirement is 641, the current standard method increased this to 897 and the proposed standard method increases it to 2,487.
Camden
Camden’s Development Plan comprises the Site Allocations (adopted Sep 2013) and the Local Plan (adopted July 2017). A review of the Site Allocations is underway, with initial reg 18 consultation undertaken in early 2020 and consultation on a draft submission hoped for Autumn 2020. The Council anticipates undertaking an assessment of the Local Plan in late 2020 early 2021 and undertake a review of the Plan if considered necessary.
City of London
The Local Plan was adopted in 2015. The Local Plan Review (Draft City Plan 2036) has undergone a delay as a result of Covid-19, which is currently at Proposed Submission stages and is scheduled to go out to public consultation in Autumn 2020.
It is expected to be adopted before the end of 2021.
Croydon
Croydon’s Local Plan was adopted in 2018. The Issues and Options took place between November 2019 and January 2020. The Preferred Options will be published during a second period of consultation in late 2020. Regulation 19 public consultation is expected to take place in Autumn 2020, with submission in Winter 2021. The Examination in Public is anticipated in Spring 2021, with an adoption in March 2022.
Ealing
The current Local Plan comprises the Core Strategy (2012), Development Sites and Development Management Policies (both 2013). The Local Development Scheme was last updated in 2015 and is out of date.
Enfield
The Issues and Options consultation was undertaken from 5 December 2018 to 28 February 2019. The Regulation 19 consultation is expecting to take place in Spring next year but at the moment officers are working more specifically on the White Paper consultation, reviewing housing numbers and London Plan.
Greenwich
Consultation on the Site Allocations Preferred Approach ended in October 2019. The Pre-Submission (Regulation 19) consultation is awaited, with no specific dates currently available, although it is proposed to take place in early 2020. The Examination in Public, is expected in Autumn 2020, with adoption expected in Spring 2021. There are no further updates available.
Hackney
On 22 July 2020 the Hackney Local Plan 2033 was adopted at full Council.
Hammersmith and Fulham
On 28 February 2018, the Council adopted its new Local Plan. This plan replaces the Core Strategy (2011) and the Development Management Local Plan (2013). Together with the London Plan it forms the Development Plan for the Borough. There are currently no reviews proposed.
Haringey
Haringey’s current Development Plan was adopted in July 2017. The New Local Plan Issues and Options took place between March and May 2020. Consultations on a full draft of the Plan (Regulation 18) is expected to take place between October and December 2020, and a Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) consultation is expected to take place in April-June 2021. Submission and the Examination in Public is anticipated to take place in July-December 2021, with adoption expected in February 2022.
Harrow
According to the Local Development Scheme (Nov 2019), the consultation on the Issues and Options was due to take place between April and May 2020. Consultation on the Draft Revised Local Plan (Regulation 18) should then follow in Spring 2021, followed by Regulation 19 consultations in Spring 2022. The Council anticipates adoption of the Local Plan in Spring 2023. There are no available updates on the progress of this Local Plan.
Havering
The Havering Local Plan (2016-2031) and supporting documents were submitted to the Secretary of State in March 2018.
The Council has published Main Modifications for consultation, which will run for 8 weeks from 17 August to 12 October 2020.
Hillingdon
The Hillingdon Local Plan Part 2 Site Allocations and Designations was adopted as part of the Borough's development plan on 16 January 2020. The new Local Plan Part 2 replaces the Local Plan Part 2 Saved UDP Policies (2012).
Hounslow
The Hounslow Local Plan was adopted on 15th September 2015 and covers the period until 2030.
The Council is undertaking Local Plan reviews for Great West Corridor (GWC), West of Borough (WoB) and Site Allocations. The Regulation 19 public consultation ended in September 2019. Submission to the Secretary of State is anticipated in October/November 2020, with the Examination in Public expected for Autumn/Winter 2020. Adoption of the Local Plan Review is anticipated in mid/late 2021.
Islington
The Council submitted the Islington Local Plan to the Secretary of State in February 2020. The Examination in Public has now started. Once the Islington Local Plan has been adopted it will replace the existing Local Plan which was adopted in 2011 and 2013.
Kensington and Chelsea
The Council adopted its Local Plan Partial Review (LPPR) Publication Policies on 11 September 2019. This is a single updated Local Plan which includes all the consolidated modifications.
Kingston upon Thames
The new Local Plan will replace the current Local Plan (2012) and Kingston Town Centre Area Action Plan (2008).
An early engagement consultation was undertaken between May and July 2019. The Local Development Scheme states that the Local Plan First Draft (Regulation 18) will be published for consultation in Winter 2019/20. The Regulation 19 public consultation was anticipated in Spring 2020, with submission to the Secretary of State anticipated in Summer 2020. The Council expects adoption of the Local Plan to take place in Winter 2021/22, but this has been subject to delay.
Lambeth
The Draft Local Plan pre-submission consultations (Regulation 19) took place between 31 January and 13 March 2020. The London Borough of Lambeth submitted the Draft Revised Lambeth Local Plan to the Secretary of State for examination on the 22 May 2020, in accordance with Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
Lewisham
The Council undertook a Regulation 18 public consultation that ended in November 2015. A Call for Sites was also undertaken between 19 September and 1 November 2018. The Local Development Scheme was last revised on 10 January 2018, stating that Regulation 19 consultations were to take place in Quarter 2 of 2019. Submission of the Local Plan to the Secretary of State was to occur in Quarter 3 of 2019, and adoption expected in Quarter 4 of 2020. However, there have been significant delays and the emerging draft of the Local Plan was considered at a meeting of Mayor and Cabinet on 11 March 2020. The draft local plan will be considered at a meeting of Council in autumn 2020. In late 2020 or early 2021 we will publish the plan for a formal round of public consultation (Regulation 18 stage).
London Legacy Development Corporation
The Legacy Corporation submitted its Draft Revised Local Plan to the Secretary of State in March 2019, with Examination Hearings taking place in September 2019. The Local Plan was adopted in July 2020.
Merton
The existing Local Plan includes Merton's Sites and Policies Plan (2014), Core Strategy (2011) and Policies Map (2014). The Council has already undertaken two rounds of consultation at Regulation 18 stage. A third consultation is scheduled to take place between October-November 2020. Publication pre-submission is hoped for Spring 2021, with submission hoped for Summer 2021 and adoption by Winter 2021.
Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
The draft Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 4th October 2018. Hearing sessions were held between May and July 2019. Interim findings were published by the Inspector in October 2019. Modifications are to be drafted and finalised between early/late 2020, with consultation on the main mods hoped for early 2021. Potential additional hearings are earmarked for Spring 2021, with the Inspector’s report hoped for publication in Summer 2021. Adoption is expected in Autumn 2021.
Redbridge
The Redbridge Local Plan was adopted at Council in March 2018 and covers the period from 2015-2030.
The March 2020 LDS states that a full review of the Local Plan commenced in late 2019 and is currently in evidence gathering and scoping stage. Two stages of Reg 18 consultation are planned, the first commencing in Late 2020 and the second in Summer 2022. Reg 19 consultation on a submission draft is hoped for Summer 2023, with submission to the SoS by early 2024. Examination is hoped for Spring 2024, with adoption by Winter 2024.
Richmond upon Thames
The Richmond Local Plan was adopted on 3 July 2018 and 3 March 2020 in relation to two legal challenges. They are now preparing a new Local Plan.
An informal ‘direction of travel’ consultation, took place between 24 February to 5 April 2020. The Pre-Publication (Regulation 18) consultation is expected to take place in Spring 2021. A Pre-Submission (Regulation 19) consultation is anticipated in Spring/Summer 2022, with adoption in Spring 2024.
Southwark
The Council submitted the New Southwark Plan to the Secretary of State on 16 January 2020. Consultation on Inspector’s suggested amendments runs between 27th August and 26th October, with responses considered in November. Examination in Public is expected in early 2021.
Sutton
The Sutton Local Plan was adopted in February 2018 and covers the period from 2016 to 2031. There are no reviews planned at the current time.
Tower Hamlets
The Tower Hamlets Local Plan 2031: Managing Growth and Sharing Benefits was adopted by Full Council on 15 January 2020.
No reviews of the Local Plan are currently proposed.
Waltham Forest
The Council is in the process of preparing a new Local Plan for the Borough. This will replace the Core Strategy (2012) and Development Management Policies (2013).
The draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) consultation ended in September 2019. The Pre-Submission (Regulation 19) consultation is expected to take place in Summer 2020, and adoption of the Local Plan in Summer 2021.
Wandsworth
The Council is undertaking a full review of the 2016 Local Plan, which currently comprises of the Core Strategy, Development Management Policies, Site Specific Allocations Document and Policies Map (all 2016).
A Call for Sites consultation ran from December 2018 to March 2019. The Pre-Publication (Regulation 18) consultation is expected to take place in Summer 2020, and Regulation 19 on the Proposed Submission version of the Plan in Spring 2021. Adoption of the Local Plan is anticipated Autumn 2022.
It is uncertain whether there are any delays as the most recent LDS was published September 2019.
Westminster
The Council submitted the City Plan 2019-2040 to the Secretary of State on 19 November 2019. Hearing sessions will take place w/c 28th September and w/c 12th October 2020.
This has suffered delays and examination was initially hoped for Winter 2019/20, with adoption earmarked for Spring/Summer 2020.
