Building and landscape design services
Design guidance for new development
The Council is committed to raising the quality of design for all new development in Waltham Forest. The Council's Urban Design team has therefore produced two Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) on design which were adopted in February 2010.
The first document is on Urban Design and is aimed at larger development proposals, including housing schemes and other mixed use development.
The second document is on Residential Extensions and Alterations and provides design advice to householders wanting to extend or make changes to their home.
See formally adopted documents below:
- Urban Design (4MB PDF file)
- Residential Extensions and Alterations (3MB PDF file)
Both documents have been subject to extensive public consultation and the Council would like to thank everyone who responded with views and comments. We have sought to incorporate the majority of views expressed within the guidance and a schedule of representations for both documents can be found below:
- Urban design schedule of representations (80KB PDF file)
- Residential extensions schedule of representations (55KB PDF file)
The documents have also taken into account the results of previous public consultation on the Council’s Sustainable Community Strategy, published in 2008. Local people recognised the various challenges facing the borough, particularly in relation to access to quality housing, and wanted to see a high quality of design and materials in all new buildings and public spaces.
The documents have also been informed by a Characterisation Study of the borough. This study includes a detailed analysis of the borough’s overall character, the pattern and history of development and its key built and natural features, and sets out a number of key findings and recommendations.
Waltham Forest Characterisation study
The purpose of this study was to provide an evidence base for the Council's design policy and guidance in the borough. This study directly informed the production of new guidance on urban design and residential extensions/alterations adopted by the Council as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) in February 2009.
Characterisation study report contents
View the characterisation study contents descriptions (781KB PDF file)
Part one - introduction and overview
first part of this report provides an overview of the Borough's character and identifies some of the defining characteristics and the differences that occur across the area.
View the characterisation study introduction and overview (895KB PDF file)
Part two - borough wide context
Part two looks at the Borough and its wider context, noting key features such as geology and land form, which have shaped its early development followed by later changes such as the creation of transport links and new urban centres.
View the characterisation study borough wide context (6MB PDF file)
Part three - typologies (building types)
Part three sets out an analysis of the key building types which are prevalent in Waltham Forest.
View the characterisation study typologies (2MB PDF file)
Part four - conclusions and recommendations
Part four provides a series of conclusions and recommendations drawn from the work following the detailed analysis of the area at every scale.
View the characterisation study conclusions and recommendations (4MB PDF file)
The appendix
The appendix provides detailed information on individual character areas which together make up the whole borough.
View the characterisation study appendix (4MB PDF file)
