About this document

1.1 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

This Residential Alterations and Retrofit Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is a technical document produced to provide guidance on planning policies in the Local Plan Part 1. It is one of a suite of SPDs produced by Waltham Forest Council.

The Waltham Forest Local Plan Part 1 guides development in the borough for 15 years and shows how inclusive and well-planned growth in Waltham Forest can go as far as possible to meet the needs of the borough.

The Local Plan and the London Plan are the main documents that are used for guiding planned growth and assessing planning applications in the area, along with Neighbourhood Plans that have been adopted for a specific area, for example the Highams Park Neighbourhood Plan.

Waltham Forest Council SPDs provide additional guidance on our borough’s planning policies. These documents are used to help make planning decisions, and are intended to be engaging and accessible for all those who use them.

This SPD supports the policies and guidance set out in the London Plan and the Waltham Forest Local Plan

1.2 The purpose and scope of this SPD

This SPD includes guidance for residents undertaking home extensions and alterations, and sets out how retrofit measures can be integrated alongside this. It provides guidance on how home householder applications can meet the relevant policies in the Local Plan Part 1 and the London Plan.

Once adopted, the SPD will be used to inform pre-applications and planning applications for householders. In addition to a guide for residents and householders, the SPD will serve as material consideration in planning decisions in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

The SPD aims to support the delivery of exemplar quality housing across Waltham Forest. This process requires ongoing collaboration across Council services and between developers and applicants throughout the whole design process.


1.3 Exemplar design

The Council is determined that all new development in the borough is of the highest – or ‘exemplar’ – design quality. This means considering quality and deliverability from the start of a proposal through to completion and beyond.

Development throughout the borough will respond appropriately to local character, be generous and joyful, and consider people and the planet.

The exemplar design approach underpins all of the Council’s planning guidance, and will ensure new buildings and places in the borough not only look great, but also meet the needs of all the people who will use them – like making sure buildings are safe and inclusive for all, creating places that foster a sense of community and building new homes that are environmentally and financially sustainable.

Exemplar design at all scales seeks to achieve social, human, financial and environmental value. These aspects, as shown in the figure below, are interconnected and overlapping.

For home extensions and alterations, exemplar design describes:

  • proposals that carefully consider the host building, surrounding context and local character.
  • a suitable application of forms, materials, and details.
  • high quality, detailed and complete submission materials, including drawings at appropriate scales.


This SPD addresses the following four interconnected principles of exemplar design in relation to home extensions and alterations: Environmental, Human, Social and Financial Value

1.4 Who is the document for?

The SPD is intended for use by many stakeholders in order to supplement the guidance found in the Local Plan and deliver exemplar design for the wider community. These stakeholders include:

  • Architects or other professionals making an application for a home extension or alteration.
  • Residents who will use the document to help understand how to apply design guidance to their own home.
  • Council Officers, where the SPD will help inform discussions during the planning process, and assess the acceptability of proposals, and to ensure development achieves exemplar design quality from the outset.

1.5 How was the guidance produced?

The SPD was developed as an enhanced comprehensive document of the existing London Borough of Waltham Forest Residential Extensions SPD to provide guidance on home extensions, alterations, and retrofit measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the borough.

In Summer 2023, we held a public consultation on forthcoming Waltham Forest SPDs, which informed the scope of this document. We also held roundtable discussions with industry experts on the topic of retrofit, specifically within Waltham Forest.

1.1 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

This Residential Alterations and Retrofit Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is a technical document produced to provide guidance on planning policies in the Local Plan Part 1. It is one of a suite of SPDs produced by Waltham Forest Council.

The Waltham Forest Local Plan Part 1 guides development in the borough for 15 years and shows how inclusive and well-planned growth in Waltham Forest can go as far as possible to meet the needs of the borough.

The Local Plan and the London Plan are the main documents that are used for guiding planned growth and assessing planning applications in the area, along with Neighbourhood Plans that have been adopted for a specific area, for example the Highams Park Neighbourhood Plan.

Waltham Forest Council SPDs provide additional guidance on our borough’s planning policies. These documents are used to help make planning decisions, and are intended to be engaging and accessible for all those who use them.

This SPD supports the policies and guidance set out in the London Plan and the Waltham Forest Local Plan

1.2 The purpose and scope of this SPD

This SPD includes guidance for residents undertaking home extensions and alterations, and sets out how retrofit measures can be integrated alongside this. It provides guidance on how home householder applications can meet the relevant policies in the Local Plan Part 1 and the London Plan.

Once adopted, the SPD will be used to inform pre-applications and planning applications for householders. In addition to a guide for residents and householders, the SPD will serve as material consideration in planning decisions in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

The SPD aims to support the delivery of exemplar quality housing across Waltham Forest. This process requires ongoing collaboration across Council services and between developers and applicants throughout the whole design process.


1.3 Exemplar design

The Council is determined that all new development in the borough is of the highest – or ‘exemplar’ – design quality. This means considering quality and deliverability from the start of a proposal through to completion and beyond.

Development throughout the borough will respond appropriately to local character, be generous and joyful, and consider people and the planet.

The exemplar design approach underpins all of the Council’s planning guidance, and will ensure new buildings and places in the borough not only look great, but also meet the needs of all the people who will use them – like making sure buildings are safe and inclusive for all, creating places that foster a sense of community and building new homes that are environmentally and financially sustainable.

Exemplar design at all scales seeks to achieve social, human, financial and environmental value. These aspects, as shown in the figure below, are interconnected and overlapping.

For home extensions and alterations, exemplar design describes:

  • proposals that carefully consider the host building, surrounding context and local character.
  • a suitable application of forms, materials, and details.
  • high quality, detailed and complete submission materials, including drawings at appropriate scales.


This SPD addresses the following four interconnected principles of exemplar design in relation to home extensions and alterations: Environmental, Human, Social and Financial Value

1.4 Who is the document for?

The SPD is intended for use by many stakeholders in order to supplement the guidance found in the Local Plan and deliver exemplar design for the wider community. These stakeholders include:

  • Architects or other professionals making an application for a home extension or alteration.
  • Residents who will use the document to help understand how to apply design guidance to their own home.
  • Council Officers, where the SPD will help inform discussions during the planning process, and assess the acceptability of proposals, and to ensure development achieves exemplar design quality from the outset.

1.5 How was the guidance produced?

The SPD was developed as an enhanced comprehensive document of the existing London Borough of Waltham Forest Residential Extensions SPD to provide guidance on home extensions, alterations, and retrofit measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the borough.

In Summer 2023, we held a public consultation on forthcoming Waltham Forest SPDs, which informed the scope of this document. We also held roundtable discussions with industry experts on the topic of retrofit, specifically within Waltham Forest.