Havering Council has set a new timetable for its Local Plan, aiming to streamline the planning process under updated government guidelines introduced in March 2026. The new system mandates a strict 30-month timetable with gateway checks to ensure progress, with the stated aims of making Local Plans clearer, speeding up the process, and ensuring all local authorities have a plan in place.
The Cabinet met on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to endorse the revised plan timetable. Councillor Terry Brown, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection, highlighted the Local Plan's importance in shaping development and the necessity of adhering to new government directives. The Local Plan aims to shape development across Havering by establishing planning policies and allocating land, addressing needs and opportunities related to housing, the economy, community facilities, and infrastructure. It also provides a basis for conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and achieving well-designed places.
The council has authorised the procurement of consultancy support to progress the 'getting ready' stage of the Local Plan, utilising £300,982 from earmarked reserves that have already been put in place for the Local Plan. This initial stage involves preparing a timetable, giving notice of plan making, undertaking an early scoping consultation, gathering background information, identifying gaps in the evidence base, and beginning to shape an initial vision for the new plan. This stage precedes the 30-month plan-making period.
Under the new system, the Local Plan process has a strict 30-month timetable for its production. This period includes a 23-month phase for preparing the plan, involving two further consultation stages, and a final 7-month period for examination by an independent planning inspector. The intention of the three 'gateway checks' incorporated into the new system is to identify inconsistencies with national policy or gaps in the evidence base early on, aiming to reduce delays during the examination stage.
These gateways are:
- Gateway 1: A self-assessment by the authority to confirm readiness to begin the formal plan-making process. This must be completed by April 30, 2027, for Havering. The self-assessment involves checking areas such as drafting a vision for the plan, agreeing on the engagement strategy, gathering evidence, and defining the scope of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).
- Gateway 2: An assessment by an independent planning inspector to resolve early soundness issues and review progress against 'prescribed requirements'.
- Gateway 3: An assessment by an independent planning inspector to determine if the Plan meets prescribed requirements, including legal compliance, and is ready for examination. This is a 'stop/go' stage.
Failure to adhere to the 30-month timetable carries significant risks, including intervention by the Secretary of State, the appointment of Commissioners to take over plan-making duties, and losing appeals and costs. Without an up-to-date local plan, councils face a higher risk of losing planning appeals, especially with the potential reintroduction of a five-year land supply pressure and a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development' for new development. A poorly evidenced plan could also be found unsound at Gateway 3 or during the final examination.
The council's Cabinet meeting details can be found in the Public reports pack 16th-Sep-2026 Cabinet and the Agenda frontsheet 16th-Sep-2026 Cabinet.