Neighbourhood planning
What is neighbourhood planning?
Neighbourhood planning enables interested local communities to help directly shape and promote development in their area. It is a community-led process which is able to receive technical and administrative support from the council.
Further information and guidance is available if you are interested in establishing a neighbourhood planning forum and / or having an areas designated as a neighbourhood area.
If you have any questions about neighbourhood planning that are not answered by these pages, please contact the Plan Making Team at neighbourhoodplanning@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood Plan
A referendum on the Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood Plan took place on 6 May 2021. The result was 86 per cent in favour of the neighbourhood plan, on a turnout of 38 per cent.
On 19 May 2021, the council agreed to formally adopt the Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood Plan, and the neighbourhood plan will now be used to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.
A copy of the neighbourhood plan and related documents can be found on the Isle of Dogs page.
Spitalfields Neighbourhood Plan
Two referendums on the Spitalfields Neighbourhood Plan were held on 11 November 2021 – one for residents and one for businesses.
The residential referendum voted in favour of the neighbourhood plan, the business referendum voted against.
The council is now required to take a decision on whether to adopt the neighbourhood plan, and updates on this decision will be provided in due course.
More information on the neighbourhood plan can be found on the Spitalfields Neighbourhood Planning page.
Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Plan
The Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Plan was adopted by full council on 16 November 2022, following a referendum in which 70 per cent of voters supported the plan.
The Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Plan now has full weight in all planning decisions within the neighbourhood planning area.
More information on the neighbourhood plan and the referendum can be found on the Roman Road Bow page.
The Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Forum’s designation
The Roman Road Bow Neighbourhood Forum’s designation expired in August 2022. An application to renew the forum was refused by a decision of Cabinet on the 21 June 2023.
More information, including the reason for refusal can be found on the Roman Road Bow page. This decision does not affect the status of the adopted Neighbourhood Plan or the weight that it holds in planning decisions.’
Established neighbourhood planning forums and areas
The following areas have been designated as neighbourhood areas and have designated neighbourhood forums:
- Spitalfields (business area) (forum designated 5 April 2016, re-designated 5 April 2021)
- Roman Road Bow (forum designated 16 August 2017)
- Poplar (forum designated 31 October 2018)
The following areas have been designated as neighbourhood areas but have no designated forum at the current time:
- Wapping (forum application refused 5 February 2014)
- East Shoreditch (forum expired 5 February 2019)
- Limehouse (forum expired 1 December 2020)
- Isle of Dogs (forum expired 5 April 2021 - note, this does not affect the status of the adopted neighbourhood plan)
You can see a map of neighbourhood areas in Tower Hamlets.