Several London boroughs adopted replacement plans or partial reviews during 2024–2026, but adoption of one document does not necessarily replace the entire local policy framework. The examples below distinguish adoption from consultation, examination and preparation of a further plan. These are selected examples rather than an exhaustive register of every London plan document. [1][2][3][4]
Recent adopted plans and reviews
| Borough | Adoption date | Plan or review |
|---|---|---|
| Waltham Forest | 29 February 2024 | The council identifies adoption of Local Plan Part 1. This is the strategic plan, not a claim that every later Part 2 document was adopted on the same date. [5] |
| Kensington & Chelsea | 24 July 2024 | The council identifies its replacement Local Plan and explains that it replaces the 2019 plan. [1] |
| Barking and Dagenham | 18 September 2024 | Local Plan 2037, adopted by the council following independent examination. [6] |
| Merton | 20 November 2024 | The council's new Local Plan page identifies the adoption date and provides adopted material. [7] |
| Barnet | 4 March 2025 | Local Plan 2021–2036, replacing the 2012 Local Plan. [8] |
| Lewisham | 16 July 2025 | The council's adoption page identifies its new Local Plan. [9] |
| Richmond upon Thames | 7 October 2025 | The council identifies the adopted Local Plan 2024–2039, replacing the 2018 Local Plan and the Twickenham Area Action Plan. [2] |
| Westminster | 21 January 2026 | This is a City Plan partial review, not wholesale replacement of every policy by a completely new plan. [3] |
Read the council's adopted plan, policies map and adoption statement before applying the policies to your site. [6][8]
Why the type of update matters
A replacement plan, a partial review and a site-allocations document do different jobs. A project's policy check should identify the operative document and the policies replaced, rather than changing every reference merely because the borough has published something newer. Westminster's current policy list expressly distinguishes its adopted City Plan and partial review. [3]
Richmond's adoption page also identifies the documents its new plan replaces. That replacement information is useful when checking whether an older application report is still relying on the correct local framework. The plan's coverage years are not its adoption date: “2024–2039” does not mean Richmond adopted it in 2024. [2]
Examination is not adoption
Camden's examination news records examination activity in 2026. Waltham Forest's Part 2 news records receipt of the Inspector's final report on 18 March 2026. Those are distinct procedural events; neither should be converted into an adoption date without the relevant adoption record. [4][10]
Westminster is also preparing a further City Plan under the new system, with its published process starting in July 2026. That future work does not reverse the fact that its partial review was adopted in January. A borough can have operative policies and a replacement process running at the same time. [11][3]
The new national plan-making system
The new English plan-making system began on 25 March 2026. Transitional arrangements preserve existing plans and allow qualifying old-system plans to complete their process. The standard final date for submitting an old-system development-plan document for examination is 31 December 2026, subject to the Secretary of State's power to direct a later date. [12][13]
For a new-system plan, the council's plan timetable records preparation, consultation, examination and adoption milestones. It is a source for the intended programme, not evidence that a future milestone has already happened. [14]
Use adoption dates together with current national policy
The NPPF published on 17 August 2026 does not remove weight from an adopted local policy simply because it is older. Annex A instead addresses material inconsistency with national decision-making policies and the relevant exceptions. Check the substance of the policy as well as its age. [15][16]
Before relying on a row above for a live application, read the council's current adopted-document list and replacement information. This is a selection of plans, so an unlisted borough should not be assumed to have an unchanged plan.