The New Tower Hamlets 'Code of Construction Practice' (CoCP) 2023

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Welcome to the Tower Hamlets Code of Construction Practice (CoCP) 2023 information page.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has one of the highest levels of growth in the country with household numbers expected to increase by around 30% over the next decade.

Further development can benefit communities through provision of housing, schools and health infrastructure however, the council recognises that the construction phase of each development can negatively impact residents through factors such as congestion, air quality, noise and disruptions to the public realm neighbouring active construction sites.

The Code of Construction Practice (CoCP) is primarily a guidance document setting out relevant legislation, linkages to the Local Plan, key actions to be undertaken by developers (regarding planning submissions and license applications) and encouraging the use of best practice environmental and safety related mitigations while planning and managing demolition and construction works within the borough.

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Consultation

The first phase of this public consultation ran from Friday 14th January to Friday 25th February 2022. Please see the Consultation Statement in the Key Document tab for the assessed findings from this phase.

The second phase of public consultation took place between 24th October 2022 to 2nd December 2022, during which the Council sought to further consult with the public and developers the proposed revisions to the Tower Hamlets Code of Construction Practice (CoCP). Please see the Consultation Statement in the Key Document tab for the assessed findings from this phase

You can also view the 'You Said, We Did' Reports which outline the changes made to to the CoCP following the end of each consultation as well as our responses to issues raised during the consultation period.

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Key Information - Working Hours

The following information is for both the public, developers and contractors, living and working across the borough, on how newly adopted CoCP 2023 will be managed relative to the change in Working Hours.

Development granted Planning Approval after the 26^th April 2023 and subject to Planning Conditions will be required to adhere to the following working hours:

• Monday to Friday 08.00 to 18.00
• Saturday at no time (requires s61 Agreement issued under the Control of Pollution Act 1974)
• Sunday, bank holidays and public holidays at no time (requires s61 Agreement for exceptional circumstances)

Development with Planning Permission granted and subject to Planning Conditions issued prior to the adoption of the new Code will continue to operate under the conditions for working hours set within the Code of Construction Practice 2006 which allows for work on Saturdays (08.00 to 13.00 hrs only) without s61 Agreement

Developments seeking amendments to Planning Approvals issued prior to 26^th April 2023, may have the new Working Hours imposed if relevant to the details being amended.

Permitted Working Hours

There have been changes to ‘Working Hours’ in the April 2023 CoCP that mean we will be running two CoCPs alongside each other for a few years. We cannot apply these new restrictions to developments that have already received Planning Approval, therefore, the following table gives advice as to which CoCP will apply to your development depending on when it received Planning Approval:

CoCP Working Hours Comparison

The following table compares the 2006 and 2023 CoCP working hours for a variety of common construction related activities, for ease of reference.

Noisy work must not take place outside these hours unless otherwise agreed through a Control of Pollution Act 1974 Section 61 Prior Consent. Special circumstances for consideration include:

• Police traffic restrictions
• Emergencies related to public safety

For more information on how to apply please visit this webpage.

To request a S61 prior consent, please contact environmental.protection@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Key Documents

The Code of Construction Practice 2023 can be found in the Key Documents tab to the right of this page. A summary document (short code) highlighting key aspects of the full Code of Construction Practice can also be found within the key documents tab.

Also provided (for information only) is the LBTH Construction Management Plan (CMP) - this is a document (that sits alongside the CoCP) outlining the proposed building works to be undertaken and how the constructor intends to manage the project to minimise the impact on local residents and businesses during the works.

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Further Information

If you have any queries about the Code of Construction Practice, please contact the Development Coordination Team: Email: development.coordination@towerhamlets.gov.uk By Post: Development Coordination Team, Infrastructure Planning Service, Tower Hamlets Town Hall 160 Whitechapel Road London E1 1BJ