Find our what the vision looks like for Barking and Dagenham being transformed by 2037.
We are preparing a new Local Plan which sets the vision and framework for how Barking and Dagenham will be transformed to 2037. The Local Plan sets out targets for the number of homes and jobs to be delivered and will reflect Barking and Dagenham's potential for growth in London. It will set out the requirements for new infrastructure and facilities such as transport links, schools and health centres to meet the needs of new and existing residents as well as protect the features in the borough which people cherish, such as parks and historic buildings.
The Local Plan timetable is provided in the updated version of the Local Development Scheme (LDS). We will update it frequently so you can keep track of the progress of the Local Plan for the borough.
For the latest news on the Examination please see the following link:
If you’d like to be added to the Local Plan mailing list and receive future notifications regarding key stages of the Local Plan process:
Send your contact details, including your email address, to:
In accordance with section 20 (4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Luke Fleming BSc (Hons) MRTPI and Guy Davies BSc (Hons) DipTP MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent examination of the Barking and Dagenham Local Plan Review.
The Council has appointed Ela King as the Programme Officer for the Local Plan. Ela will work under the direction of the appointed Inspector. Throughout the examination process, the Programme Officer will deal with all procedural and programming matters relating to the Inspector and Examination.
For all matters concerning the examination, please email programmeofficer@befirst.london
View all the documents submitted to the Secretary of State and get up to date information on the Examination process below:
We have updated the Statement of Community Involvement Refresh - August 2020 (PDF, 271KB) which sets out how the council will engage with local and statutory stakeholders on planning matters in the borough. This follows consultation on the document in Autumn 2019 (as approved by Cabinet on 18 June 2019) and incorporates updates, where appropriate, in response to the matters raised set out in the SCI Summary of Consultation Responses Report, September 2020.
The draft Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 21 December 2021. Since then, we have undertaken two sets of examination hearing sessions with the Planning Inspectors. These took place in July 2022 and October/November 2023. Following the latest set of hearings, the Inspectors have provided their Post-Stage 2 Hearings Letter which sets out that overall they are satisfied that the Local Plan is likely to be capable of being found legally compliant and sound, subject to Main Modifications. We are now consulting on proposed modifications and would welcome your views.
Please note, this consultation is limited to the changes being proposed within the documents set out below. Please read our Explanatory Note for more details on the scope of the consultation and for next steps before submitting a response.
The consultation will run for 8 weeks between Monday 19th February 2024 and Sunday 14th April 2024. We welcome your feedback on the modifications set out in the following documents:
Clean Copies of Documents for Illustrative Purposes:
Clean versions of the documents below are provided alongside the consultation documents. These incorporate the proposed modifications set out in the above documents. The Inspectors have not requested these or considered them. However, they are for illustrative purposes only and have been provided by the Council to assist in the reading of the documents being consulted on.
Accompanying Evidence Documents Available for Review
To review the evidence underpinning the Plan and the proposed changes, please visit our Examination Website Submission and Examination libraries.
Additional Modifications
A running list of the additional modifications proposed to be made to the draft Local Plan is also available for review. These types of modifications encompass minor elements such as typos and factual updates.:
How can I submit a response?
You can submit a response using our representation form: Representation Form
You can submit responses via email to Planningpolicy@befirst.london, or by post to:
Planning Policy Team
Be First
5th Floor, MAKE IT Barking
15 Linton Road
London
IG11 8HE
Hard copies of the documents being consulted on are also available at Barking Town Hall and Dagenham Library.
Other documents:
Please see below for the Sustainability Appraisal Addendum, and HRA Addendum that considers the Main Modifications proposed in this consultation:
The Council recently received the Inspectors' Post-Hearings letter setting out next steps following the main examination hearings that took place in October/November last year. To view the letter, please see document EX191 on the Examination Website.
Following the Local Plan Main Hearings in October/November 2023, a number of notes have been produced to clarify some of the questions raised by the Inspectors. This includes notes on Housing Supply, Gypsy and Traveller Sites, Infrastructure Delivery, Town Centres and Employment. These are now available in the examination library (EX185-EX189). Additionally, the Local Development Scheme has been updated and is also available in the examination library (EX184).
The Stage 2 Hearing Sessions are to commence on the 31st of October 2023 at Barking Town Hall. The following links will take you to the live streaming of the Hearing Sessions, which will be available to view retrospectively.
For more information about the Examination please see the Stage 2 Examination Guidance Notes, and for a breakdown of the Issues covered in each Matter, please see the Stage 2 Examination Hearing Programme (version 2)
Hearing Statements for the Local Plan Examination Main Hearings (scheduled to start on the 31st October 2023) are now available in our Local Plan examination library (see ‘Stage 2 Agendas and Hearing Statements’ section). Please also note that our examination Hearings Programme was recently updated (see EX122 for the latest version). If you are interested in attending or are scheduled to participate, please continue to monitor our ‘Latest News’ section for updates.
The Council have recently made available within our Examination Library a number of documents including:
As set out on the Examination Library webpage, the Stage 2 Hearings for the examination of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Draft Local Plan 2019 - 2037 will commence Tuesday 31st October 2023 at 10am in Barking Town Hall, Town Hall Square, Barking IG11 7LU. The associated Stage 2 Hearings documents, including a provisional hearing programme and the Inspectors’ ‘Matters, Issues and Questions’ are also available to view in our examination library (EX110-112). Luke Fleming BSc (Hons) MRTPI and Guy Davies BSc (Hons) DipTP MRTPI are the Inspectors appointed to hold the independent examination of the Draft Local Plan.
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan
We welcome your thoughts on our Initial Main Modifications Consultation for the draft Local Plan!
Following submission of the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 21 December 2021, we have undertaken preliminary examination hearings with the Planning Inspectors. These took place in July 2022 and highlighted a number of matters than need to be addressed within the draft Local Plan (Documents C1 and C2 on the examination website: https://yourcall.befirst.london/submission-documents) and between the draft Local Plan and the Policies Map (Document C3: Proposals Map, also available on the examination website) before the Local Plan can progress to the main examination hearings. These matters were also highlighted in the Inspector’s Next Steps Letter, which paused the examination and requested the Council undertake further work associated with the Green Belt and Gypsy and Travellers, and to consult on a number of changes to the submission Local Plan to rectify Drafting Errors identified in the submission Local Plan and on the submission Policies Map. The Inspectors Stage One Hearings Next Steps Letter can be viewed here.
Please note, this consultation is limited to the changes being proposed within the documents set out below. Please review our Consultation Cover Note for more details on the scope of the consultation and for next steps. For the avoidance of doubt, all representations made during the Reg 19 (1) and Reg 19 (2) consultations will be considered by the Inspectors, we do not require comments made previously to be repeated.
The consultation will run for 6 weeks between Thursday 22nd June 2023 and Monday 7th August 2023 We welcome your feedback on the modifications set out in the following two documents:
To provide further clarification on the above, clean versions of the documents below are available for review. These incorporate the proposed modifications set out in the above, and are for illustrative purposes only. They are intended to assist in the reading of the two documents being consulted on (bullet points 1 and 2 above).
Accompanying Evidence Documents Available for Review
The following key evidence base documents that were not available at the time of the Regulation 19 (2) Local Plan but underpin some of the proposed changes set out as part of this consultation:
Additional Modifications
A running list of the additional modifications proposed to be made to the draft Local Plan is also available for review. These types of modifications encompass minor elements such as typos and factual updates. This document will continue to be reviewed as we progress through the examination. The first version of the document is available below:
Additional Modifications to the Barking and Dagenham Submission Local Plan (submission documents C1: Regulation 19(2) Draft Local Plan 2021, and C2: Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations 2021)
How can I submit a response?
You can submit response using our representation form: Representation Form.
You can submit responses via email to Planningpolicy@befirst.london.
Hard copies of the documents being consulted on, alongside any new evidence relevant to these changes, is also available in hard copy at Barking Town Hall and Dagenham Library. Postal submissions should be made to:
Planning Policy Team
Be First
5th Floor, MAKE IT Barking
15 Linton Road
London
IG11 8HE
If you are submitting a response via email or post and would like to be heard at the main hearings, please indicate this within the email/letter and/or your response. Please note, the final decision on who may be heard at the examination hearings is down to the discretion of the Inspectors.
Please also note, responses to this consultation will be published online. Names of those submitting representations will be shown, however other personal details such as email addresses or home addresses will be redacted.
Other documents:
Please see below for the previously available Sustainability Appraisal, Consultation Summary and Statement of Fact:
Regulation 19 (2) Sustainability Appraisal
Regulation 19 (2) Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary
Regulation 19 (2) Consultation Statement and Summary Report
22 June 2023
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan.
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan.
The Council published a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (September 2020), which shows how many new pitches need to be provided up to 2037. To help meet the accommodation needs of the borough's Gypsy and Traveller communities the Council is looking to allocate sites through the review of its Local Plan.
As part of this we are now asking landowners to put forward land that they think is suitable for this use. Any sites which are submitted will be assessed for their suitability and help the Council to make decisions over where to allocate sites to meet their identified need for traveller pitches.
Sites can also be submitted by completing and returning the Site Submission Form (DOC, 38KB) and sending them to email PlanningPolicy@Befirst.London or via letter to the address below:
Be First
9th floor, Maritime House
1 Linton Rd,
Barking
IG11 8HG
You will also need to submit a map showing where the site is and what land it includes.
You must return the completed form by Monday 17 April 2023. After this date, we will assess all the sites received in order to decide which to take forward.
Work is continuing to progress on the action points and studies are well underway. There has been a delay to the Exception Test/Sequential Test work which has now been factored into the latest iteration of the Action List and Forward Plan.
The Council have now commissioned a specialist consultant to undertake a review of the 2016 Green Belt study. This is now reflected in the latest iteration of the Action List and Forward Plan.
The Council has updated the Action List and Forward Plan.
The Council received a letter from the Planning Inspectorate, detailing the next steps of the Local Plan examination. You can read the letter below.
The Council has written to the Planning Inspectors to provide assurance on the Duty to Co-operate. The following documents have been uploaded to the Examination Library:
The Council has written to the Planning Inspectors to set out that additional work on the Duty to Co-operate is underway and that the intention is to provide this evidence by the start of September.
Due to the inclement weather during the Hearing Sessions, particularly on the 19th July 2022, re-runs of the Matter 1 and Matter 2 sessions were held on 27th July 2022 via Microsoft Teams. This was an opportunity for those who made representations at Regulation 19 (2) to have their say on these topics. Recordings of these meetings can be viewed by clicking on the following links:
Matter 1: Legal and Procedural Requirements
Matter 2: Overall Approach to the Green Belt
The Hearing Sessions are to commence on the 19th of July at Barking Town Hall. The following links will take you to the live streaming of the Hearing Sessions, which will be available to view retrospectively.
| Date (2022) | Morning Session (9:30 to 13:00, except Matter 1 which begins at 10:00) | Afternoon Session (14:00 to 17:00) |
| Tuesday 19 July | Matter 1: Legal and Procedural Requirements | Matter 1: Legal and Procedural Requirements |
| Wednesday 20 July | Matter 2: Overall Approach to the Green Belt | Matter 3: Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation |
| Thursday 21 July |
Matter 4: Flood Risk and Strategic Approach to Minimising Flood Risk |
Mop up session |
| Friday 22 July | Reserve Session | Reserve Session |
For more information about the Examination please see the Examination Guidance Notes.
Responses to the Inspector's Stage 1 Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) have now been submitted by the Council as follows:
In support of these MIQ responses the Council has also submitted the following documents:
The Council submitted the following document to the Examination Library
The Inspectors have now produced initial Matters, Issues and Questions, which form the basis of the Stage 1 Hearing Sessions which will take place during the week of the 18th July 2022 (Barking Town Hall, Town Hall Square, Barking, IG11 7LU). Responses to these MIQs will be submitted by the 1st of July 2022.
The Council has now provided the Part 2 response to the Inspector's Preliminary Matter Letter. The following documents have also been submitted in support of this response:
The Council has now provided the Part 1 response to the Inspector's Preliminary Matters Letter. The following documents have also been submitted in support of this response:
The Council have received the Inspectors Preliminary Matters Letter. The questions are separated into two parts with a Part One response required on 25 March and a Part Two response required on 25 April 2022.
The Council sought to upload additional evidence base documents that were not submitted as part of the Submission Documents. These can be found on the Document Library and are referenced EX7 to EX20.
The Council submitted the following documents to the Examination Library:
The Council have now received the Local Plan Inspector Appointment Letter. In accordance with section 20 (4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Luke Fleming BSc (Hons) MRTPI and Guy Davies BSc (Hons) DipTP MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent examination of the Barking and Dagenham Local Plan Review.
Following the Regulation 19 (2) consultation, which ended on 28 November 2021, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Draft Local Plan 2037 was submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 December 2021. The details of this can be found in the Notice of Submission letter.
All representations made through the Regulation 19 (1) and Regulation 19 (2) publications have been submitted to the Inspector.
The Secretary of State will appoint a Planning Inspector to examine the Plan against the test of soundness set out in the NPPF:
The Plan will either be considered sound and ready for adoption assuming Inspector recommendations are implemented, or unsound.
For more information regarding the Examination process, please see the Procedure Guide for Local Plan Examinations.
You can also see further guidance on taking part in examinations.
Accommodation needs of Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show people
This consultation is closed. We are no longer asking for comments, but the draft Local Plan, appendices, and emerging evidence are available for you to view below.
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) outlines how the council will involve the community in the planning of the local area. We adopted our last SCI in July 2015 and we are preparing a revised version as part of the Local Plan review.
Many thanks to everyone who submitted comments on the Statement of Community Involvement Refresh. The consultation period ran from Wednesday 10 July to Friday 6 September 2019.
A summary of all the responses received during the Statement of Community Involvement (Refresh) consultation:
Statement of Community Involvement Responses Summary Report (PDF, 169 KB)
Thank you to everyone who responded to our Call for Sites consultation which we carried out between 12 April and 17 May 2019.
We are currently reviewing all the sites submitted as part of the Local Plan Review.
A short survey designed to get your views on key matters important to the development of the plan.
Issues and options survey (PDF, 83 KB)
Barking and Dagenham’s sustainability appraisal scoping report for the emerging Local Plan was consulted on between 20 March and 4 May 2015.
The scoping report forms an early stage of the sustainability appraisal. The sustainability appraisal is used to systematically assess the extent to which the emerging Local Plan will help achieve relevant environmental, economic and social objectives when judged against reasonable alternatives.
The sustainability appraisal process consists of five stages:
The scoping report covers Stage A.
Barking and Dagenham Local Plan sustainability appraisal scoping report (PDF, 1.63 MB)
Consultation draft sustainability appraisal scoping report consultation statement (PDF, 163 KB)