Waltham Forest Council is set to adopt the modified Local Plan Part 2 (LP2) at a Full Council meeting on 11 December 2025, following a period of public consultation and independent examination.

The Local Plan Part 2 (LP2) allocates specific sites for development, sets out expectations for land use and design quality, and identifies site-specific infrastructure needs. According to the Adoption of Local Plan Part 2 and next steps report, if the modified Local Plan Part 2 is found to be 'sound', the council can formally adopt it at the meeting of the Full Council on 11 December 2025. Part 2 complements Part 1 of the Waltham Forest Local Plan, which was adopted on 29 February 2024 and establishes a borough-wide spatial strategy.

The draft LP2 document was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination in December 2024, and following hearings in June and July 2025, the Inspector identified modifications needed for the plan to be considered sound. A schedule of Main Modifications was agreed upon and published for public consultation from 11 August to 13 October 2025.

Key modifications to the plan include:

  • Reclassification of 17 sites as 'Opportunity Sites' rather than formal 'Site Allocations'. While 'Opportunity Sites' do not have the same policy weight as formal allocations, they still direct inclusive growth to the most suitable sites and provide placemaking principles to ensure the council's quality aspirations are met. The sites are still supported by both the Council and the Inspector as suitable sites for development, and should a policy-compliant scheme be proposed, it remains entirely possible that an Opportunity Site could come forward for development within the Plan Period.
  • Clarification over mitigation measures to avoid harm to Epping Forest for sites within 400m of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation.
  • Clarification that there is no expectation that housing will be delivered on the Temple Mills Bus Depot Site Allocation during the Plan Period (2020-2035). The immediate priority shared by the council, TfL and Stagecoach (who operate the depot) for this site is to support the electrification of the bus fleet to help meet our zero carbon goals and continue to enhance public transport within the borough and wider region.
  • Amendment to the Matalan Site Allocation to remove it from the previously adopted Local Plan Part 1 sites identified as 'potentially suitable for tall building'. The site allocation itself is retained with the same capacity for new homes, which can be delivered through an alternative massing strategy that does not require a building of 10 or more storeys.

Following the adoption of Local Plan Part 2, the Place and Design team will collaborate across all council services and with external partners and stakeholders to support its implementation. Specific work to deliver the high quality inclusive growth identified in the Plan will include: the preparation of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and other thematic and place-based planning strategies, briefs and guidance; work with developers and land owners to unlock sites and deliver the new homes, workspace and infrastructure that the borough needs; and providing input into planning applications at all stages of the development cycle – from feasibility studies to ensuring quality of detailed design on site. The team will also update the council's Statement of Community Involvement, which sets out how the council engage on planning-based documents, to incorporate recent learning from consultation on the Local Plan.

The following SPDs are being brought forward:

  • Exemplar Design ensuring forthcoming development is characterful, sustainable and of exemplar quality.
  • Retrofit and Residential Alterations providing advice for extending or altering homes, including making them more energy efficient.
  • 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.