New Local Plan

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Welcome to the Tower Hamlets new Local Plan consultation page.

The council carried out a consultation on the full Local Plan in Autumn/Winter of 2024 in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

In response to representations received as part of that consultation, the council is proposing changes to several policies and site allocations to ensure that the policies can be found ‘sound’ at examination. The council is now undertaking a second Regulation 19 consultation, focused specifically on three policies and five site allocations (and the evidence supporting them), before submitting the draft Local Plan for examination to the Secretary of State.

The focused policies document being consulted on can be found here. A track change version of the policy changes is also available and this is for reference only and can be found here.

The policies in this document will be subject to a six-week consultation. This consultation will be open from the 20th June 2025 to 1st August 2025 and, during that time, we are inviting representations in accordance with Regulation 19. Please note there is no need to re-submit representations already made at the 2024 Regulation 19 consultation at this stage.

As the Council’s most important planning document, the Local Plan is used to guide decisions on planning applications in the borough. This means that if someone wants to develop a new building or change its use, they should make sure it follows the policies in the Local Plan.

The current Local Plan was adopted in January 2020 and a number of the objectives, policies and guidance contained within this plan could now be considered out-of-date as national and regional guidance is progressively updated. Once adopted, this new plan will replace the currently adopted plan.

Therefore, a new Local Plan has been prepared to ensure it takes into account emerging challenges and opportunities and benefits present and future generations. The Plan must be prepared in line with planning policy requirements set out by national and regional government.

Empowering the next generation: building a brighter future for Tower Hamlets, together.

What is the ‘regulation-19’ Plan and consultation?

The purpose of this round of consultation is for stakeholders to flag any issues on the legal compliance and soundness in the Focused Consultation document.

Following this stage, we will be submitting both the Proposed Submission version of the local plan, and this focused consultation document for examination. Any responses submitted as part of the previous consultation will also be submitted. There is no need to resubmit responses submitted as part of the previous consultation.

The Regulation-19 version is the final draft of the Plan that the council intends to submit to the Secretary of State for independent examination, also known as the ‘Proposed Submission Version’. This purpose of this consultation stage is set out within legislation and is focused on ensuring the Plan is legally compliant and that it meets the tests of ‘soundness’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), paragraph 35.

The publication of a proposed submission version of the draft local plan is a statutory stage within the plan-making process.

The purpose of this stage of the plan-making process (Regulation-19) is to invite representations on whether the document is ‘sound’ and ‘legally compliant’. Further detail on what this means is as follows. At this stage of the plan making process, in accordance with national guidance, consultation responses should focus on legal and procedural compliance, and the soundness of the Local Plan.

How should you respond at this stage?

This purpose of this consultation stage is set out within legislation. It is important to ensure all communities within Tower Hamlets have the opportunity to review this draft document and its supporting evidence and understand how to respond at this stage.

Representations at this stage should focus on the legal compliance and ‘soundness’ of the proposed plan. When providing your representations, you should consider the points below:

  • Is the plan legally compliant? - Does the plan comply with the relevant legislation and regulations in the way it has been prepared, and in its content?
  • Does the plan comply with the ‘Duty to Cooperate’? - Has the local planning authority engaged constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis with neighbouring authorities and other prescribed bodies during the preparation of the plan?
  • Is the plan ‘sound’? - Has the plan been ‘positively prepared’? Is it robustly justified and evidence-led? Will it be effective in what it sets out to achieve? Is it consistent with regional and national planning policy?

Because this is a more specific and more formal type of consultation than the previous ones, the examiner will only take into account responses that include a name and contact details.

If you submit a response, you should also let us know if you would like to speak at the examination. If so, the examiner might call on you to present your concerns about the plan in person in a public setting.

The Examination stage of the Local Plan process is likely to take place in mid-2026.

How can you find out more about the consultation?

Further information on the nature of the Regulation-19 consultation and how to submit your responses (known as representations) can be found on the right hand side of this page. Summary sheets are also listed and they are also available in Bengali and Somali.

In-person public engagement sessions

We will be hosting a series of in-person and online public engagement sessions. Council officers will discuss the project and respond to any comments or queries.

These sessions are open to anyone who has an interest in the proposed Submission Version of the draft Local Plan.

The sessions will be split into two categories:

  • In-person meetings
  • Virtual meetings

In person events

There will be two in-person drop-in sessions, where council Officers will be available to answer any questions or queries you might have on the project. Please see the date, time and location for the sessions below:

  • Thursday 3rd July 2025, 12:30pm-17:00pm: Tower Hamlets Council Town Hall Grocers Wing, Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ.
  • Monday 7th July 2025, 17:00pm-20:00pm: Chrisp Street Idea Store 1 Vesey Path, East India Dock Road, Greater London, E14 6BT.

You do not need to register for an event, please just come along on the date and times listed above.

If you have any specific policy areas you'd like to talk about, or if you're representing a particular community group or business when attending, please let us know when you attend.

Virtual events

There will be two online drop-in sessions, which go through the key changes to the project.

These online events will be held on Microsoft Teams and are open for anyone to join, please email localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk and we will send you a Microsoft Teams calendar invite.

  • Tuesday 1st July 2025, 11am-12pm: Online drop in session.

Please find a recap of the online event on Tuesday 1st July at the right hand side of the page.

  • Wednesday 9th July 2025, 16:00pm-17:00pm: Online drop in session.

If you have any specific themes you'd like to talk about, or if you're representing a particular community group or business when attending, please let us know when you attend.

*It is important to note that when making a representation at this stage, you must include your full name and contact details. The Council is not able to accept anonymous submissions during this representation period.

Further information regarding the procedure of this stage is available in our Statement of Fact and Statement of Representations Procedure (Regulation 19) document to the right hand side of this page.

How can you have your say?

You can tell us your views using any of the ways below.

Providing written comments to the council

You can provide written comments on the draft policies via email or post as listed below. Please ensure that you download the Regulation 19 Representation Form or collect the form at one of our in person consultation events and send your filled out form to us:

  • By email to localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk
  • By post to Strategic Planning Team, Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ

Next Steps

Following this stage of the Local Plan, we will be submitting the plan to the Secretary of State (SoS) in early 2026. The SoS will then appoint an independent planning inspector who will examine the Plan and make recommendations for any modifications that are required before it can be found sound and adopted. We are currently expecting for the Local Plan to be adopted late 2026 or early 2027. Once the Local Plan has gone through the process of examination and is adopted, the Local Plan will replace the current Local Plan which was adopted in 2020.


Privacy Notice

We process the data in accordance with the General Data Protection (GDPR) and UK privacy legislation. If you have any concerns, the Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk. For more information, please visit the Legal notices page on the Council’s website and view our Spatial Planning Privacy notice, located under the ‘Responding to the Consultation’ tab on the right of this webpage.

Further information

For any queries, please contact the Council’s Plan Making Team at: localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Welcome to the Tower Hamlets new Local Plan consultation page.

The council carried out a consultation on the full Local Plan in Autumn/Winter of 2024 in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

In response to representations received as part of that consultation, the council is proposing changes to several policies and site allocations to ensure that the policies can be found ‘sound’ at examination. The council is now undertaking a second Regulation 19 consultation, focused specifically on three policies and five site allocations (and the evidence supporting them), before submitting the draft Local Plan for examination to the Secretary of State.

The focused policies document being consulted on can be found here. A track change version of the policy changes is also available and this is for reference only and can be found here.

The policies in this document will be subject to a six-week consultation. This consultation will be open from the 20th June 2025 to 1st August 2025 and, during that time, we are inviting representations in accordance with Regulation 19. Please note there is no need to re-submit representations already made at the 2024 Regulation 19 consultation at this stage.

As the Council’s most important planning document, the Local Plan is used to guide decisions on planning applications in the borough. This means that if someone wants to develop a new building or change its use, they should make sure it follows the policies in the Local Plan.

The current Local Plan was adopted in January 2020 and a number of the objectives, policies and guidance contained within this plan could now be considered out-of-date as national and regional guidance is progressively updated. Once adopted, this new plan will replace the currently adopted plan.

Therefore, a new Local Plan has been prepared to ensure it takes into account emerging challenges and opportunities and benefits present and future generations. The Plan must be prepared in line with planning policy requirements set out by national and regional government.

Empowering the next generation: building a brighter future for Tower Hamlets, together.

What is the ‘regulation-19’ Plan and consultation?

The purpose of this round of consultation is for stakeholders to flag any issues on the legal compliance and soundness in the Focused Consultation document.

Following this stage, we will be submitting both the Proposed Submission version of the local plan, and this focused consultation document for examination. Any responses submitted as part of the previous consultation will also be submitted. There is no need to resubmit responses submitted as part of the previous consultation.

The Regulation-19 version is the final draft of the Plan that the council intends to submit to the Secretary of State for independent examination, also known as the ‘Proposed Submission Version’. This purpose of this consultation stage is set out within legislation and is focused on ensuring the Plan is legally compliant and that it meets the tests of ‘soundness’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), paragraph 35.

The publication of a proposed submission version of the draft local plan is a statutory stage within the plan-making process.

The purpose of this stage of the plan-making process (Regulation-19) is to invite representations on whether the document is ‘sound’ and ‘legally compliant’. Further detail on what this means is as follows. At this stage of the plan making process, in accordance with national guidance, consultation responses should focus on legal and procedural compliance, and the soundness of the Local Plan.

How should you respond at this stage?

This purpose of this consultation stage is set out within legislation. It is important to ensure all communities within Tower Hamlets have the opportunity to review this draft document and its supporting evidence and understand how to respond at this stage.

Representations at this stage should focus on the legal compliance and ‘soundness’ of the proposed plan. When providing your representations, you should consider the points below:

  • Is the plan legally compliant? - Does the plan comply with the relevant legislation and regulations in the way it has been prepared, and in its content?
  • Does the plan comply with the ‘Duty to Cooperate’? - Has the local planning authority engaged constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis with neighbouring authorities and other prescribed bodies during the preparation of the plan?
  • Is the plan ‘sound’? - Has the plan been ‘positively prepared’? Is it robustly justified and evidence-led? Will it be effective in what it sets out to achieve? Is it consistent with regional and national planning policy?

Because this is a more specific and more formal type of consultation than the previous ones, the examiner will only take into account responses that include a name and contact details.

If you submit a response, you should also let us know if you would like to speak at the examination. If so, the examiner might call on you to present your concerns about the plan in person in a public setting.

The Examination stage of the Local Plan process is likely to take place in mid-2026.

How can you find out more about the consultation?

Further information on the nature of the Regulation-19 consultation and how to submit your responses (known as representations) can be found on the right hand side of this page. Summary sheets are also listed and they are also available in Bengali and Somali.

In-person public engagement sessions

We will be hosting a series of in-person and online public engagement sessions. Council officers will discuss the project and respond to any comments or queries.

These sessions are open to anyone who has an interest in the proposed Submission Version of the draft Local Plan.

The sessions will be split into two categories:

  • In-person meetings
  • Virtual meetings

In person events

There will be two in-person drop-in sessions, where council Officers will be available to answer any questions or queries you might have on the project. Please see the date, time and location for the sessions below:

  • Thursday 3rd July 2025, 12:30pm-17:00pm: Tower Hamlets Council Town Hall Grocers Wing, Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ.
  • Monday 7th July 2025, 17:00pm-20:00pm: Chrisp Street Idea Store 1 Vesey Path, East India Dock Road, Greater London, E14 6BT.

You do not need to register for an event, please just come along on the date and times listed above.

If you have any specific policy areas you'd like to talk about, or if you're representing a particular community group or business when attending, please let us know when you attend.

Virtual events

There will be two online drop-in sessions, which go through the key changes to the project.

These online events will be held on Microsoft Teams and are open for anyone to join, please email localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk and we will send you a Microsoft Teams calendar invite.

  • Tuesday 1st July 2025, 11am-12pm: Online drop in session.

Please find a recap of the online event on Tuesday 1st July at the right hand side of the page.

  • Wednesday 9th July 2025, 16:00pm-17:00pm: Online drop in session.

If you have any specific themes you'd like to talk about, or if you're representing a particular community group or business when attending, please let us know when you attend.

*It is important to note that when making a representation at this stage, you must include your full name and contact details. The Council is not able to accept anonymous submissions during this representation period.

Further information regarding the procedure of this stage is available in our Statement of Fact and Statement of Representations Procedure (Regulation 19) document to the right hand side of this page.

How can you have your say?

You can tell us your views using any of the ways below.

Providing written comments to the council

You can provide written comments on the draft policies via email or post as listed below. Please ensure that you download the Regulation 19 Representation Form or collect the form at one of our in person consultation events and send your filled out form to us:

  • By email to localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk
  • By post to Strategic Planning Team, Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ

Next Steps

Following this stage of the Local Plan, we will be submitting the plan to the Secretary of State (SoS) in early 2026. The SoS will then appoint an independent planning inspector who will examine the Plan and make recommendations for any modifications that are required before it can be found sound and adopted. We are currently expecting for the Local Plan to be adopted late 2026 or early 2027. Once the Local Plan has gone through the process of examination and is adopted, the Local Plan will replace the current Local Plan which was adopted in 2020.


Privacy Notice

We process the data in accordance with the General Data Protection (GDPR) and UK privacy legislation. If you have any concerns, the Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk. For more information, please visit the Legal notices page on the Council’s website and view our Spatial Planning Privacy notice, located under the ‘Responding to the Consultation’ tab on the right of this webpage.

Further information

For any queries, please contact the Council’s Plan Making Team at: localplan@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Page last updated: 04 Jul 2025, 05:24 PM