Consultation on the Lewisham Local Plan - Main Issues and Preferred Approaches

Overview

Share your views on Lewisham’s new Local Plan

We are preparing a new Local Plan, which will help shape Lewisham to 2040.

The Local Plan helps to ensure that planning decisions are made in the best interests of our neighbourhoods and communities.

It provides a strategy for the Council and its partners to direct investment across Lewisham, recognising it is an integral part of London. It includes policies and guidelines that are used to determine planning applications.

Why your views matter

Have your say

The consultation is open from 15^th January 2021 to 11^th April 2021.

Coronavirus has made it difficult for us to hold public consultation events, but we are hosting a series of information sessions on Zoom.

Thursday 4th February, 5.30pm -7pm, Vision and Strategy

Tuesday 9th February, 5.30pm - 7pm, Design and Heritage

Thursday 11th February, 5.30pm - 7pm, Economy and Culture

Tuesday 16th February, 5.30pm - 7pm, Green Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability

Wednesday 17th February, 5.30pm - 7pm, Housing

Tuesday 23rd February, 5.30pm - 7pm, Infrastructure (Community/Transport)

Monday 1st March, 5.30pm -7pm, Central Area (1st session)

Tuesday 2nd March, 5.30pm -7pm, North Area (1st session)

Thursday 4th March, 5.30pm -7pm, East Area (1st session)

Monday 8th March, 5.30pm -7pm, South Area (1st session)

Tuesday 9th March, 5.30pm -7pm, West Area (1st session)

Thursday 11th March, 5.30pm -7pm, Central Area (2nd session)

Monday 15th March, 5.30pm -7pm, North Area (2nd session)

Tuesday 16th March, 5.30pm -7pm, East Area (2nd session)

Wednesday 17th March, 5.30pm -7pm, South Area (2nd session)

Thursday 18th March, 5.30pm -7pm, West Area (2nd session)

Sign up for events by completing the registration form

Online sessions focusing on Lewisham's neighbourhoods will be held at a later date with details to be confirmed shortly. 

Please be aware that the dates and times listed above may be subject to change so please visit the 'online events' section on our Commonplace website.

You can download and view the consultation materials below.

Read the Summary Document for an overview of the background information.

Full details are set out in the Local Plan: Main Issues and Preferred Approaches document which can be downloaded in full, or in parts, below.

To have your say, visit lewishamlocalplan.commonplace.is

Email - localplan@lewisham.gov.uk

Write to us - Strategic Planning, Laurence House, 1 Catford Rd, Catford, London, SE6 4RU

Why do we need a new Local Plan?

A Local Plan should be updated regularly so it continues to deliver on the aspirations of our communities, to guides us to help meet Lewisham’s needs as London grows, it responds to climate emergency, supports the borough’s recovery from COVID-19 and to boost the Council’s ability to secure investment for instance, bringing the Bakerloo line to Lewisham.

Our existing local plan is made up of a package of documents. The Lewisham Core Strategy is the main document and was adopted in 2011. It is supported by the Site Allocations, Development Management and Lewisham Town Centre 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 plan. This includes local residents, community groups, businesses and other stakeholders.

We have prepared the Local Plan: Main Issues and Preferred Approaches document for public consultation. It has been informed by previous consultation and engagement exercises we have undertaken for the new plan. This includes the initial statutory public consultation in 2015 along with engagement on evidence base documents (such as the Lewisham Characterisation Study, New Cross Area Framework and Catford Town Centre Masterplan).

We are also inviting feedback on supporting documents which have been prepared to inform the preparation of the new Local Plan, including:

• Schedule of Proposed Changes to Adopted Policies Map
• Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA)
• Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA)
• Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP)

The consultation is being held in accordance with Regulation 18 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 which set out what Local Planning Authorities are required to do in relation to the preparation of a local plan.

Call for sites

As part of this consultation we are also carrying out a further ‘Call for Sites’ exercise. This is to establish whether there are additional sites that are potentially available in the borough for development for housing, economic development and other uses.

What happens next

All comments received will be taken into account and will inform the preparation of the ‘Proposed Submission’ version of the new Local Plan, which will be published for public consultation (Regulation 19 stage). In addition, all comments will be summarised and collated within a Consultation Statement, which will set out how the comments have been considered.

Further information on the plan process is set out in the adopted Local Development Scheme.