Current and future consultations

Find out more about consultations on the new Local Plan.

Local Plan Regulation 19 Consultation

As part of the Regulation 19 stage of Lewisham’s New Local Plan, Lewisham Council is consulting on the following documents:

What is the New Local Plan?

The Local Plan sets out a long-term strategy for the Council and its partners to direct investment across the borough. It also makes up part of the Council’s statutory Development Plan and includes policies and guidelines that are used to determine planning applications.

The Council’s existing Local Plan is made up of a package of documents. The Lewisham Core Strategy (2011) is the main document and was adopted in 2011. It is supported by the Site Allocations (2013), Development Management (2014) and Lewisham Town Centre (2014) local plans.

The Council is legally required to review its Local Plan every five-years. We are therefore reviewing and updating our adopted plans, bringing them together into a single document. The new local plan will cover a twenty-year period, looking ahead to 2040.

Why are we consulting?

The Local Plan will play a vital role in how we manage new development and coordinate investment. We want everyone with an interest in Lewisham to help shape the new local plan.

We have prepared the Local Plan: Proposed Submission Document for public consultation. It has been informed by the previous consultation and engagement exercises we have undertaken on the Regulation 18 Issues and Options document in October-November 2015, the Regulation 18 Main Issues and Preferred Approaches document in January – April 2021, Call for sites exercises and engagement on evidence base documents.

During this consultation the Local Plan: Proposed Submission Document and its supporting documents will be made available for public inspection to provide any individual, group, or business the opportunity to make a representation. This consultation will require submissions to specifically focus on the following issues:

Is the plan legally compliant? - Does the plan comply with the relevant legislation and regulations in the way it has been prepared, and in its content?

Does the plan comply with the ‘Duty to Cooperate’? - Has the local planning authority engaged constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis with neighbouring authorities and other prescribed bodies during the preparation of the plan?

Is the plan ‘sound’? - Has the plan been ‘positively prepared’? Is it robustly justified and evidence-led? Will it be effective in what it sets out to achieve? Is it consistent with regional and national planning policy?

All representations must set out clearly why, and how, it is considered that the Lewisham Local Plan: Proposed Submission Document (in whole or in part) is: legally compliant or non-compliant; compliant or non-compliant with the Duty to Cooperate; and/or, sound or unsound.

Supporting and Evidence Base documents:

The Lewisham Local Plan: Proposed Submission Document is accompanied by a range of documents.

Supporting documents:

Evidence Base documents:

Have your say:

The consultation is open from 1st March 2023 to 25th April 2023.

You can take part in the consultation by:

Completing the online survey via Council’s online consultation platform.

Completing the Representation Form – A completed representation form can be returned via e-mail or post. Download a Representation Form.

E-mail: localplan@lewisham.gov.uk

Post: Planning Service, Laurence House, 1 Catford Rd, London, SE6 4RU.

Physical copies of the representation form will be available at locations where the documents are available for inspection (listed below).

Your comments must be received by 12 midnight on Tuesday 25th April 2023.

Your comments should focus on the soundness and legal compliance of the documents (listed above).

Please note that you must include your full name and contact details. The Council will not be accepting anonymous submissions during this representation period.

Your comments and name will be made public and will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Planning Inspectorate, but all other personal information will be kept confidential.

Lewisham Council Privacy Notice.

Online Sessions:

The Council will be holding two online information sessions from:

6.00pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 16th March 2023 and
6.00pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 23rd March 2023.

Drop-in Sessions:

There will also be a drop-in session at Unit 69 East Mall, Lewisham Shopping Centre from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Saturday 25th March 2023.

Physical copies of the documents

You can inspect physical copies of the documents (listed above at the top of this page), the consultation statement main report and appendices as well as other supporting documents at the following locations:

London Borough of Lewisham , Laurence House, 1 Catford Rd, London, SE6 4RU
Catford Library, Catford Centre, 23-24 Winslade Way, London, SE64JU.

Please arrange an appointment for viewing at Laurence House by emailing localplan@lewisham.gov.uk or calling 02083147400.

You can inspect physical copies of the documents (listed above at the top of this page) and the consultation statement main report excluding the appendices at the following locations:

Lewisham Library
Deptford Lounge Library
Grove Park Community Library
Forest Hill Community Library
Downham Library

Find out about library opening times.

If you require the consultation documents in an alternative format, please contact locaplan@lewisham.gov.uk.

Additionally physical copies of the documents (listed above) can be provided to individuals if requested. The printing and postage costs of which will be incurred by those requesting additional copies. If you wish to make a purchase, please contact localplan@lewisham.gov.uk.

Notification of next stages of the Lewisham Local Plan

Once the Regulation 19 representation period has closed, updates regarding the status of the Local Plan will be published on the Council’s Planning Policy webpages. Any person who makes a submission during the Regulation 19 representation period will automatically be added to the strategic planning team’s database and will be provided with updates on the progress of the Local Plan. If you wish to be removed from this database, please contact localplan@lewisham.gov.uk.

An independent Planning Inspector will then be appointed by the Secretary of State to undertake an Examination into whether the Local Plan is legally compliant, meets the duty to cooperate, and passes the tests of soundness. The Examination will include hearing sessions held by the Planning Inspector in public at which those who have made a valid representation have the right to speak. If you wish to speak, please make this clear in your representation.

Contact the Planning Policy Team

If you would like any further information on the Lewisham Local Plan: Proposed Submission Document, or any of the supporting documents please contact us via:

Telephone: 02083147400.
E-mail: localplan@lewisham.gov.uk
Post: Planning Service, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU.

Published on: 15/03/2023