Topic 18

London: the London Plan, boroughs and local plans

Explore the London Plan, local plans and borough guides, with comparisons of planning requirements across London.

11 articles

How London planning works

01The London Plan and your borough's Local Plan: how they fit togetherThe London Plan and your borough's Local Plan are both part of the statutory development plan: a proposal normally needs to address both. National planning policy, relevant neighbourhood plans and the legal status of any supplementary guidance must also be checked.02The draft new London Plan (2026): what may changeThe 2026 draft London Plan proposes changes to housing delivery, small-site development, building form and the use of land, but it is not yet the adopted London Plan. Assess a current proposal against operative policies while separately considering the weight of relevant draft policies.03London's temporary housing measures (2026): what they mean for developersLondon's March 2026 housing package combines an operative time-limited planning route and design-guidance changes with measures requiring separate legislation. Eligible developers should assess the route's affordable-housing, validation and review conditions, without assuming that the proposed CIL discount is already available.04When the Mayor gets involved: referable schemes and call-inThe Mayor becomes involved when an application falls within a statutory category of potential strategic importance, rather than simply because it is in London. From 11 May 2026, the new 50-home category widened notification, but schemes caught only by that category follow a different procedure from other referable applications.05Supplementary planning documents and borough design guidesBorough design guides and supplementary planning documents explain how adopted policies are applied, but an SPD is not itself part of the statutory development plan. From 25 March 2026 the new plan-making system also provides for supplementary plans, which have a different legal status; check the document type, adoption date and underlying policy.

Comparing boroughs

06Basement policies across LondonThere is no single London-wide basement size allowance: borough policies, Article 4 directions, flood risk and construction controls must be checked separately. Camden, Richmond, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster illustrate different controls that can apply to the same kind of project.07HMO Article 4 directions across LondonHMO Article 4 coverage is not uniform across London: check the property's mapped area, the direction's commencement and confirmation, and the precise change of use it controls. A planning direction is separate from HMO licensing and does not itself impose a blanket ban on shared housing.08Mansard and roof extension guidance by boroughBorough roof guidance depends on the building, street and heritage designation, not just the word 'mansard'. Compare the relevant adopted policy and current local guide, then check national permitted-development rights separately; guidance supporting a roof form does not itself grant permission.09Converting houses into flats: borough rules comparedA house-to-flat conversion normally needs planning permission, and borough policies can impose different tests for the size of the original house and the retention of family accommodation. Brent, Waltham Forest and Merton illustrate why one borough's threshold should not be used to assess a property elsewhere.10CIL rates by boroughLondon developments may face both borough CIL and Mayoral CIL, and the borough charge can vary by mapped zone and development type. The 2026 indexed rates below show all 32 boroughs' standard Mayoral bands and published residential borough-rate examples for Redbridge, Richmond and Wandsworth; they are not a complete liability calculation.11Which boroughs have new local plans (2024–2026)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 dated examples below distinguish adopted plans from consultation, examination and preparation of a further plan.

Borough pages

Local plan, design guidance, Article 4, conservation areas, basements, CIL and building control for each borough.