What is a Supplementary Planning Document?

The Local Plan (External link) is the main document that is used for making decisions on planning applications within the Borough.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) are documents which provide additional guidance on policies from the Local Plan, and are used to help make planning decisions. Waltham Forest Council is producing a suite of SPDs to provide additional guidance on our Borough’s planning policies. These documents are intended to be engaging and accessible for all those who use them.

Exemplar Design Principles

The council is developing a unique Exemplar Design approach. This will ensure new buildings and places in the Borough look great and also consider fully the needs of all the people who will use them – like making sure they are safe and inclusive to all, support the delivery of 15 minute neighbourhoods and help us address the Climate Emergency. To ensure this, all the SPDs will address the following four principles of exemplar design:

  • Human value – community safety, comfort, health, privacy, access for all

  • Social value – local character, connectivity, inclusivity

  • Environmental value – net zero carbon, trees and biodiversity

  • Financial value – affordability, whole life cost, resource efficiency, value creation, cost of living

Our suite of SPDs

Our SPDs cover a range of topics and we need your input to help shape them:

  • Exemplar Design: ensuring forthcoming development is characterful, sustainable and of exemplar quality.

  • Green and Blue Spaces: protecting, enhancing, creating and connecting biodiverse, safe outdoor spaces across the Borough.

  • Retrofit and Residential Alterations: advice for extending or altering your home, including making it more energy efficient.

  • Industrial Intensification: securing the future and quality of our industrial estates and making the best use of land to create more jobs and activities.

  • Developer Contributions: clarifying how developers contribute to the cost of infrastructure and other public benefits for the whole community as part of the planning process.

  • Leyton Mills: ensuring development that comes forward in and around Leyton Mills is coordinated, sustainable and high quality.

The Local Plan (External link) is the main document that is used for making decisions on planning applications within the Borough.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) are documents which provide additional guidance on policies from the Local Plan, and are used to help make planning decisions. Waltham Forest Council is producing a suite of SPDs to provide additional guidance on our Borough’s planning policies. These documents are intended to be engaging and accessible for all those who use them.

Exemplar Design Principles

The council is developing a unique Exemplar Design approach. This will ensure new buildings and places in the Borough look great and also consider fully the needs of all the people who will use them – like making sure they are safe and inclusive to all, support the delivery of 15 minute neighbourhoods and help us address the Climate Emergency. To ensure this, all the SPDs will address the following four principles of exemplar design:

  • Human value – community safety, comfort, health, privacy, access for all

  • Social value – local character, connectivity, inclusivity

  • Environmental value – net zero carbon, trees and biodiversity

  • Financial value – affordability, whole life cost, resource efficiency, value creation, cost of living

Our suite of SPDs

Our SPDs cover a range of topics and we need your input to help shape them:

  • Exemplar Design: ensuring forthcoming development is characterful, sustainable and of exemplar quality.

  • Green and Blue Spaces: protecting, enhancing, creating and connecting biodiverse, safe outdoor spaces across the Borough.

  • Retrofit and Residential Alterations: advice for extending or altering your home, including making it more energy efficient.

  • Industrial Intensification: securing the future and quality of our industrial estates and making the best use of land to create more jobs and activities.

  • Developer Contributions: clarifying how developers contribute to the cost of infrastructure and other public benefits for the whole community as part of the planning process.

  • Leyton Mills: ensuring development that comes forward in and around Leyton Mills is coordinated, sustainable and high quality.