The Draft new Local Plan has been informed by early engagement that was held from January 2023 to March 2023. The Council’s 6-week early engagement stage for the new Local Plan included a range of digital, interactive and accessible events to ensure maximum outreach across the community. Events were held both online and in-person and included promotion through social media, emails, website, newsletters, press notices and posters/leaflets. During this early engagement phase, the Council received over 6000 online visits across the ‘Let’s Talk’ website and the interactive ‘Story Maps’ platform. The Local Plan engagement document was downloaded 500 times and cumulatively, there were 392 submissions to the project and approximately 115 attendees across the events.

Mayor’s office – at the regular Planning meeting with the Mayor, where key updates, such as ‘early engagement’ and outputs have been presented, including the ‘vision’ for the Local Plan. The Mayor and the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, have provided a steer on aspirations and policy direction to ensure alignment with the new Strategic Plan.

Internally – input of colleagues across the Council at the regular Local Plan Steering Group Meeting and regular Working Group Meetings held across each of the Plan’s 10 policy theme areas. These discussions were followed by presentations to the DLT, CLT over recent months, followed by separate engagement with specific officers.

Externally – Greater London Authority, Transport for London, Historic England, London Boroughs of Newham, Greenwich, Hackney, City of London Corporation, London Legacy Development Corporation, neighbourhood forums, key landowners, Canal and River Trust, Network Rail, Environment Agency and Historic England.