Areas
London. What will your site be allowed to become?
London has the strongest demand for homes in the country and the most complicated rules for building them. Thirty-two boroughs and the City each have their own local plan, sitting under the Mayor’s London Plan, and 2026 has brought a set of temporary measures meant to restart stalled housebuilding. Most of Philip’s career has been spent on London schemes, from regeneration sites to tight urban plots.
Who it is for
For owners of land and buildings anywhere in London, from a large garden or a parade with space behind it to an industrial estate; for investors and developers bringing schemes forward; and for organisations that need homes or premises in the capital.
What is different about London
- Two layers of planningEvery borough has its own local plan, but the London Plan sets the strategic rules on housing, design, affordable housing and industrial land, and the Mayor is consulted on larger schemes. The current London Plan dates from 2021. A new draft was published in July 2026 and is expected to be adopted by 2028; until then, the 2021 plan applies, with the draft carrying growing weight.
- Affordable housing routesUnder the London Plan, schemes offering at least 35% affordable housing (50% on public land and some industrial land) can follow a fast-track route without a full viability review. For applications validated by 31 March 2028, a temporary route set out by the government in March 2026 lowers this to 20% on private land, with at least 60% of it social rent, again without a viability assessment. It does not apply to Green Belt, student accommodation or co-living, and it comes with an early review if building does not start within about 30 months.
- Community Infrastructure LevyLondon schemes pay both the Mayoral levy and the borough’s own. Under the 2026 measures, some residential schemes with at least 20% affordable housing that start before 31 March 2030 can apply for partial relief from borough CIL, if an appraisal shows the scheme is otherwise unviable.
- Design standardsThe 2026 measures withdrew two London Plan design standards: the expectation that homes be dual aspect and the limit of eight homes per floor per core. The wider housing quality standards still apply.
- Industrial landStrategic Industrial Locations and Locally Significant Industrial Sites are protected. The draft London Plan keeps them, asks boroughs to review boundaries and identifies a small number of sites for release to housing; smaller, undesignated sites are treated more like brownfield land.
- Small sitesThe London Plan expects boroughs to support well-designed homes on small sites, such as infill plots, backland and upward extensions, and many boroughs have design codes or guidance for them.
- Change of use limitsMany boroughs have Article 4 directions that remove permitted development rights, including the Class MA right to turn commercial buildings into homes, in town centres and the Central Activities Zone. Always check before relying on one.
- Building safetyA large share of London schemes are 18 metres or seven storeys and above, which means approval from the Building Safety Regulator before construction, a second staircase in new residential buildings of that height, and more time and cost in the programme.
Across London
- North LondonSuburban boroughs with large gardens, backland and infill sites, alongside major regeneration such as Brent Cross and Meridian Water. Our North London case study is in this area.
- East LondonThe largest Opportunity Areas and regeneration schemes, from the Royal Docks to the Lower Lea Valley and Thamesmead, plus a high share of industrial land and build to rent.
- South LondonFrom Nine Elms and Battersea on the river to Croydon and the outer boroughs, with town centre intensification and suburban small sites. Our Kingston upon Thames case study is in this area.
- West LondonOld Oak and Park Royal, where the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation is the planning authority, White City, and Heathrow-related constraints on height and noise further west.
How we help
- Feasibility studies: what the site or building could become, and what each option costs and returns
- Site identification: finding and securing the right site
- Development management: managing the scheme, including the planning process and the right planning consultant
- Delivery strategy for complex sites
- Project management
London areas in more detail
Case studies
Common questions
How much affordable housing will my London scheme need?
It depends on the borough, the size of the scheme, whether the land is public or industrial, and which route the scheme follows. Under the temporary route for applications validated by 31 March 2028, a private site can offer 20% without a viability assessment; otherwise the London Plan fast track is 35%, or a viability-tested figure.
Do the 2026 London measures apply to small schemes?
The affordable housing route applies to schemes that would normally be asked for affordable housing, which in most boroughs means ten or more homes. The CIL relief only applies where the borough CIL bill is above £500,000.
Do you work in every borough?
Yes. We work across all of London, and the planning consultant and design team we appoint for each scheme are chosen for their knowledge of that borough.
Can I convert my office or shop to homes without planning permission?
Sometimes, under the Class MA right, but many London boroughs have removed it in their town centres and central areas with Article 4 directions. The position should be checked for the exact address before buying or designing.