Have Your Say on The London Plan 2026

For developers in London, the city-wide planning bible 'The London Plan' is always lurking; ready to throw policies at you like a kid throwing snowballs from behind a bench.

The London Plan is a planning framework that leads the way for future policies and regulations across the country.

It you’re outside the bubble, The London Plan covers every topic of development you can think of from open spaces and transport, to jobs and culture. Its sustainable policies regularly find their way into Building Regulations, so it’s a useful document to keep an eye on.

In recent years it has paved the way by setting overheating targets, carbon offsetting, lifecycle assessments and encouraging heat networks.

Every five years the London Plan gets an overhaul. It’s time to start talking about the next version, due for release in 2026. Full details are here. Responses are welcome until June 22nd 2025:

https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/towards-new-london-plan-consultation

Sustainable construction is covered by Policy SI2, which currently requires major schemes to meet net zero carbon. Enhanced fabric, low carbon heating and onsite renewables are all expected, with any net zero shortfalls met through carbon offset payments.

You’d expect The London Plan 2026 to set even stricter targets, but the delay to the Future Homes Standard has thrown a spanner in the works...

We know the new emission targets in Part L will be very low, so would an additional reduction be the best way forward for planning policy?

The recent news that both SAP and HEM will be allowed for Part L compliance has complicated matters further.

So, rather than predict what compliance may look like, the Greater London Authority (GLA) consultation teases us with this line:

“The London Plan could leave energy efficiency to the new standards, and any future standards which are expected to be more stringent… Alternatively, it could retain the current approach.”

Reading between the lines, the GLA is as eager as the rest of us to understand how the Future Homes Standard is going to shape new-build design in the coming years, but they don’t want to predict Part L for fear of setting targets which are no better than the regulatory standard.

Maybe setting lower carbon targets isn’t the answer. Instead, it’s likely the new London Plan will focus on other areas: Tougher standards for carbon offsetting; more emphasis on post-construction monitoring; rolling out lifecycle assessments to small developments (not just referable schemes). And what about targets based on the new EPC format?

The new policies aren’t yet decided, but they're bound to draw new lines in the sand for what sustainable construction looks like in London, which is going to create fresh new challenges for future developments.