14 April, 2026 · 2 min read

Central London Planning Policy Update (Q4 2025 & Q1 2026)

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This is an overview of recent planning policy developments and current or emerging consultations across the Central London boroughs. It also includes updates from the Mayor of London and the Government on the capital for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026.

PLANNING POLICY HEADLINES

  • MHCLG’s Support for Housebuilding (Package of Support) was announced on 25 March 2026. This was after a period of consultation, including temporary CIL relief for qualifying residential schemes and permanent enhancements to Mayoral planning powers. The latter encompassed the introduction of expanded call-in powers for larger or sensitive developments and the allocation of £324 million to establish a City Hall Developer Investment Fund.
  • The GLA adopted the Support for Housebuilding LPG, which introduces a streamlined package of emergency measures to accelerate housing delivery in the capital. These include amendments to cycle parking requirements, updates to housing design guidance, and a new time‑limited planning route to support affordable housing delivery. This will apply until 31 March 2028.
  • The Oxford Street Development Corporation will become the local planning authority for the area. This is effective from 1 June 2026 and is subject to the parliamentary process.
  • Westminster and Wandsworth adopted partial reviews of their Local Plans in January and March 2026. These cover updates to housing and affordable housing policies, with Westminster introducing its new Retrofit First policy.
  • Southwark issued the final draft of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan (AAP) to the Planning Inspector for Examination in Public in November 2025.
  • In November 2025, Westminster, RBKC, and Hammersmith and Fulham were all affected by a cyber‑attack. This resulted in the shutdown of core operational functions across their departments. The planning services of all three authorities were affected, limiting their ability to validate applications, undertake consultations, or issue decisions between November 2025 and February 2026. As of 31 March 2026, all three LPAs are fully operational, but face expected backlogs and delays.

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