Residents, businesses and community groups in Tower Hamlets are being asked for their feedback on the final draft of the new Local Plan.
The Local Plan is the council’s most important planning document, used to guide and assess all development in the borough.
This means that if someone wants to develop a new building or change its use, they should make sure that it follows the policies of the Local Plan.
Currently, the council has a final draft of the Local Plan, which includes all the feedback from earlier consultations, including Regulation 18, which took place from October to December 2023.
This current stage of the process is called ‘Regulation 19’, and the consultation is required by law.
The aim is to ensure that the Plan is legally compliant, the vision and objectives in the Plan can be achieved through the policies provided and that it meets the 'soundness' tests in the National Planning Policy Framework.
These tests cover whether the plan has incorporated feedback from all relevant stakeholders, whether the policies are grounded in solid and current evidence, whether they are feasible, and whether they are consistent with national and regional policies.
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said:
“The one thing that is evidently clear to me is that we need a Local Plan that is fit for purpose in 2024; one which will optimise the supply of housing.
“We need to allow developers to build taller and increase the capacity of homes to ensure a higher yield of genuinely affordable homes with a focus on family-size properties.
“This consultation represents a vital step in the Local Plan process. We consistently seek accountability, and there is no group more qualified to provide that than our residents.”
The final version of the Local Plan sets new rules for affordable housing and includes policies on enhancing green areas, aiding small businesses, and promoting inclusive development.
Moreover, there is a major shift in how tall buildings are handled, with many height restrictions being lifted in places like Canary Wharf, North Quay, and Billingsgate Market, and a new area for tall buildings to be established.
One of the new housing policies in the plan proposes that development sites must offer a minimum of 40 percent of new homes as affordable, with 85 percent of these at social rent and 15 percent as intermediate housing.
The consultation will run from Friday 13 September to Monday 28 October 2024.
The website sets out further detail about the Regulation 19 consultation including a link to the online policies and site allocations representation forms and links to join our online consultation sessions.
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/localplan
Posted on Monday 23rd September 2024