Statement of community involvement
The Building Safety Levy (BSL) will come into effect on 1 October 2026. It is a tax on new dwellings and new bedspaces in purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA).
Developers must pay the levy on certain building control applications or notices before completion or occupation of the building. The Council will collect the levy.
The Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025 sets out how the levy will operate.
Changes to how some planning applications are decided from 31 October 2026The Government has introduced new national rules about who decides planning applications.
These rules are formally called the national scheme of delegation. From 31 October 2026, they will decide which applications must be decided by planning officers and which may go to Planning Committee.
The rules will apply to cases decided from that date. We have updated Lewisham’s Constitution to reflect the changes.[
Statement of Community Involvement 2023
We adopted a new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) on 25 September 2023, after being approved by Mayor and Cabinet on 20 September 2023.
The new SCI supersedes the previous SCI adopted in 2006 (with its 2020 and 2021 updates) and is not used in decision making.
What is a Statement of Community Involvement?
The SCI is a legal document for the Council and explains:
- how we prepare and consult on the preparation of planning policies
- how we support neighbourhood planning
- undertake our statutory consultation on planning applications
Good Developer Engagement Protocol
We have guidance for proactive developer engagement with communities. This document sets out our expectations for the quality of developer’s pre-application engagement with communities and other stakeholders and how to embed Social Value.
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