Two neighbourhoods get the power to plan

Tower Hamlets Council’s cabinet have approved the creation of two new

Neighbourhood Planning Forums, which would put parts of planning and

development directly in the hands of local communities.

The two new planning forums are in Spitalfields and the Isle of Dogs, and join

Limehouse, Wapping and East Shoreditch.

These forums are empowered by the Localism Act to establish a development plan

for the areas under their responsibility. This includes drawing up planning policies,

allocating specific sites for purposes determined by the community, or designing

general principles to guide the development of an area.

The new forums were agreed following an extensive consultation process, in which

residents and community organisations brought their views to the council. As part of

this process some changes to the initially proposed boundaries of the planning forum

areas have been made.

The forums will work in partnership with ward forums, government agencies and

local councillors. Their plans are required to be in line with the council’s Local Plan

and the overall London Plan, and are then incorporated into both plans, enshrining

the forum’s wishes in the requirements of any development process.