Local plan

Southwark's planning policy documents

Our planning policy documents consist of: 

• the Southwark Plan 2022 ^{(PDF, 63.3mb)} (for example, the Local Plan)
• Neighbourhood Plans
• Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)
• other local statutory documents

We're also preparing an Area Action Plan (AAP) for Old Kent Road.

All adopted and current documents are listed in the table below.

What is the Local Plan?

The Local Plan is a set of documents that include our planning policies for Southwark. The Plan includes:

• the regeneration strategy for the borough
• policies that are used to make decisions on planning applications
• key development sites with land use and urban design requirements
• visions for each of the borough’s neighbourhoods

Our latest Local Plan – the Southwark Plan 2022

The Southwark Plan 2022 is our latest Local Plan. It was adopted by the Council Assembly on 23 February 2022. This means we are using the Southwark Plan 2022 policies to assess all planning applications.

You can view all the adopted plan documents below:

• Southwark Plan 2022 (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 63.3mb)}
• Planning Policies Interactive Map
• Council Assembly Report
• Southwark Plan 2022 adoption statement ^{(PDF, 81kb)}

The Southwark Plan 2022 is backed by a number of supporting documents. They provide a robust evidence base for the proposed policy and ensure that plans meet relevant equalities and sustainability criteria. These include:

• Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 12.8mb)}  
  An IIA assesses the sustainability, equality and health impacts of the Local Plan. The IIA also considers transport, and social and economic impacts as well as the Public Sector Equality Duty.

• Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 2.2mb)}
  An EQIA ensures that our policies do not discriminate against anyone and that, where possible, we promote equality of opportunity.

  • Equalities Impact Assessment Appendices (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 929kb)}

  • Equalities Impact Assessment Summary (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 356kb)}  

• Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) (February 2022) ^{(PDF, 791kb)}
  A HRA examines the impact a planning policy document may have on the conservation management of a habitat site.

What has happened to the previous Local Plan?

The Southwark Plan 2022 has replaced the following documents:

• Saved Southwark Plan (2007) 
• Core Strategy (2011) 
• Canada Water Area Action Plan (2015) 
• Peckham and Nunhead Area Action Plan (2014)  
• Aylesbury Area Action Plan (2010)  

You can still look at these documents on the historic plans and guidance page.

Decision-making in the plan-making process

There are 3 ways that decisions can be made on whether to adopt planning policy documents.

1. Council Assembly

   • approves budget and policy frameworks

   • decides whether the Local Plan is ready to be submitted for Examination

   • decides when to adopt a plan

2. Cabinet

   • decides on resources and priorities

   • decides on how to deliver and implement the approved budget and policy frameworks

   • agrees consultation on the council’s policy frameworks, key strategic documents and decisions

3. Individual cabinet members

   • decide on matters that fall within their responsibility

   • all key decisions taken by individual cabinet members are listed on the Forward Plan

Page last updated: 26 January 2023