Helping residents to understand the planning system

To help residents navigate the complex planning system, Wandsworth Council has produced an illustrated booklet to help to explain how planning works, why it is needed and how policy is made.

The Council is working towards a formal public consultation as part of an ongoing partial review of its Local Plan.

Ahead of this consultation, we are engaging with groups, organisations and individuals to make sure that their voices are heard and that they feel well informed to take part when the consultation launches.

The Local Plan is the main planning document that sets out our aims for long-term development across the Borough. The Local Plan partial review seeks to maximise the delivery of affordable housing, with a particular focus on boosting the number of social rented homes built - to help more local families access the genuinely ‘affordable’ housing they need.

Simon Hogg, Leader of the Council, said:

“We know that the planning system is complex and often filled with jargon. To many residents it can seem completely inaccessible. But, for the system to work properly, we need to hear residents’ voices, and that is why we are engaging with people to help them to understand the system.

“This Local Plan review is important because we are putting social housing at the heart of our long-term housing plans. By ensuring that developers help to deliver much-needed social housing, we can build a fairer borough for all.”

Aydin Dikerdem, Cabinet Member for Housing, said

“Thousands of children in Wandsworth grow up in temporary accommodation and that is why we are urgently seeking social rented homes that give them security for the long-term. We could comfortably fix this crisis in a decade if every third home built took another family off the council’s waiting list. We cannot miss this opportunity.” 

The planning policies in the Council’s Local Plan apply whenever someone applies for planning permission. Mostly this applies to new development projects. However, major refurbishments of existing buildings do require planning permission; as well as changes of use of buildings and land, for example turning a shop into a home.

Once a Local Plan is approved, it is used to help decide the outcome of planning applications for the next five to ten years. It also helps landowners and developers understand the council’s priorities.

Each planning decision is made on an individual basis, depending on the context and level of need in that area.  

To find out more about the local plan, visit wandsworth.gov.uk/localplan.  We are also encouraging local communities to sign up to our Local Plan mailing database to ensure they are informed at the beginning of the consultation. The simplest way to do this is to contact us at planningpolicy@wandsworth.gov.uk.