What should the refuse plans show?
Confirm the council's collection system before fixing the layout. Epping Forest's waste-planning guidance addresses internal and external storage, access and the practical collection arrangements for new development. Mixed-use proposals need to consider the relevant arrangements for their different occupiers. [1]
Ask the designer to show the proposed containers, the usable enclosure and the route between the store and collection point. Resolve access and manoeuvring with the collection service rather than assuming that a store of sufficient floor area is automatically serviceable.
For a flat conversion, check how every household will use the arrangement and who will manage shared facilities. Keep the storage plans coordinated with the access, landscape and accommodation drawings.
Recycling requirements changed in 2026
From 31 March 2026, England's Simpler Recycling requirements apply to household collections, including flats, subject to the published transitional arrangements. The default streams cover food and garden waste, paper and card, other dry recycling, and residual waste. The guidance allows specified collection arrangements, so this should not be simplified into a claim that every property must have the same four physical bins. [3]
From 31 March 2027, plastic film packaging and plastic bags must also be collected with plastic recycling. Confirm the actual local container and collection arrangements when designing new storage. [3]
What should the cycle plans show?
The required provision depends on the site's policies and the proposed use. In London, March 2026 housing-support guidance introduced temporary changes to cycle-parking requirements, including location-based bands. It states that these provisions apply until 31 March 2028. Do not rely solely on an older, uniform schedule copied from an earlier London project. [2]
Ask the designer to identify the applicable provision and demonstrate that the spaces can be reached and used. Specify the proposed storage arrangement and access route rather than drawing an unexplained rectangle marked “bikes”. Check it alongside doors, circulation, landscape and refuse access.
Who prepares and checks the plans?
The architect or designer should coordinate the drawings, with input from transport specialists where needed and the council's waste collection team for servicing. Epping Forest's guidance emphasises resolving collection and storage arrangements as part of the design process. [1]
A useful appointment should include confirming the relevant guidance, preparing coordinated layouts and responding to technical comments. Clarify whether any separate management statement is needed for communal facilities.
Recheck before procurement
Check that final containers, enclosures and cycle equipment match the accepted arrangement. Changes to the number or type of homes can also alter the required provision.
London's draft new Plan is not yet adopted. Record which current and temporary provisions the design follows, and revisit the calculation if the application falls outside the temporary guidance period. [4] [2]