Last updated: 11 March 2024

Next review: 5 March 2025

About the Local Plan

The Local Plan is the key planning document for the borough.  It sets out a 15-year vision and framework that is used to shape developments and guide decisions on where, how much, and what kind of development is needed in order to meet the borough’s needs. 

In Waltham Forest, the Local Plan has two parts: 

The Council adopted Local Plan Part 1 (LP1) on 29 February 2024.  This document sets out a spatial vision, strategic objectives and a planning policy framework for development in the Borough until 2035, and includes thematic policies on topics such as housing, climate change, green and blue infrastructure, and heritage. It replaces the previously adopted development plan documents including the Core Strategy (2012), Development Management Policies Document (2013) and the Area Action Plans for Walthamstow Town Centre (2014) and Blackhorse Lane (2015). Further details on the examination of LP1 can be found on the Local Plan Examination Webpage.

The Council are in the process of preparing Local Plan Part 2: Site Allocations (LP2). The document has been subject to 2 public consultations, and the Council will hold a further statutory consultation on the document in the summer/ autumn 2024. The most recent version of the document was published for consultation in November 2021, see below. 

Supporting documents

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Local Plan Policies Map

The Policies Map has details of where development is planned and proposals to allocate land for specific types of development.  The Policies Map has been updated alongside the adoption of the new Local Plan Part 1 (LP1) on 29 February 2024.

Contact: planning.policy@walthamforest.gov.uk if you require a high-resolution PDF version.

Local Plan and London Plan

Our Local Plan, like other London boroughs, must be in 'general conformity' with the overall London Plan. This is the 'Spatial Development Strategy for London' and is set by the Mayor of London.