Newham Planning Consultant
Stratford, the Royal Docks and beyond
Newham carries more of London's planned growth than almost any other borough. The Royal Docks, Canning Town and Stratford sit alongside Victorian terraces in Forest Gate, East Ham and Manor Park, and since December 2024 the council has decided applications across the old Olympic Park boundary as well.
Cedar Planning is a Chartered consultancy led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. We are based in Norfolk, act for clients across England including east London, and arrange visits to Newham sites whenever a proposal needs one.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Two plans, one planning authority
The Newham Local Plan 2018 was adopted in December 2018 and looks ahead to 2033. It divides the borough into the Arc of Opportunity, running from Stratford through Canning Town and the Royal Docks to Beckton, and Urban Newham, the established neighbourhoods where change is gradual and focused on town and local centres. It set a target of 43,000 new homes over its life.
For eleven years the London Legacy Development Corporation handled planning around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. On 1 December 2024 those powers returned to Newham, so the council now decides every application in the borough. The LLDC Local Plan 2020 to 2036 and its supplementary guidance still apply to the land the Corporation used to cover, until the new Newham plan replaces them.
That replacement is close. The draft Newham Local Plan was submitted on 18 July 2025 and examined by Inspector William Fieldhouse, with hearings from December 2025 to February 2026. Main modifications were consulted on from 26 May to 7 July 2026, and the Inspector's report, received on 18 August 2026, found the plan sound subject to those modifications. Adoption now needs a vote of full Council.
The practical effect for an applicant in autumn 2026 is that the emerging plan carries very significant weight. We test proposals against the 2018 plan, the LLDC plan where relevant and the modified draft, so the case holds whether a decision lands before or after adoption.
Check the HMO boundary before you let rooms
Newham's HMO Article 4 Direction came into force on 31 July 2013 and covers the whole borough except land that was then under LLDC control. Since the Legacy Corporation has handed back its powers, the position in and around Stratford needs checking site by site.
Planning themes that come up in Newham
Stratford, East Village and the Park are now decided by Newham but assessed against LLDC Local Plan policies. Applicants need to know which plan applies to their exact site.
The Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area has had a GLA Opportunity Area Planning Framework since 2023, with major sites at Thameside West and Beckton Riverside and a proposed DLR link to Thamesmead.
Turning a family house into a shared house needs permission almost everywhere in the borough, and the council looks closely at the loss of family homes and at internal standards.
Durham Road, Romford Road and Woodgrange Road conservation areas each have Article 4 Directions, so windows, doors and front elevations often need consent.
How we help Newham clients
Every instruction is priced as a fixed-fee quotation. These are the services most often needed for Newham projects.
HMO Planning Permission
Applications for small and large HMOs in East Ham, Plaistow, Manor Park and Forest Gate, dealing with the 2013 direction, the loss of family housing and room size standards.
View servicePlanning Applications
Infill homes, flat conversions and mixed-use schemes across Urban Newham and the Arc of Opportunity, with the right plan identified for sites near the old LLDC boundary.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Assessments for works in the Forest Gate conservation areas and to listed and locally listed buildings, written to meet the Article 4 controls that apply there.
View serviceLawful Development Certificates
Evidence-based applications to confirm that an HMO, flat or outbuilding use began lawfully, which can matter where a use predates the 2013 direction.
View serviceLocal Plan Representations
Advice for landowners on how the adopted new plan treats their site, and on future site allocation or policy reviews once the plan is in force.
View serviceFeasibility Studies
Early appraisals for sites in Canning Town, Silvertown and Beckton, covering flood risk, density, height and airport constraints before design fees are committed.
View serviceNewham policy codes you will meet
The 2018 plan opens with six spatial policies. S1 sets the overall strategy, then S2 Stratford and West Ham, S3 Royal Docks, S4 Canning Town and Custom House, S5 Beckton and S6 Urban Newham each guide a part of the borough. The Successful Places policies follow, including SP4 on tall buildings and SP5 on heritage. Housing is handled by the H series, with H2 on affordable housing, and flood risk sits in SC3.
The London Plan 2021 adds another layer. Policy D9 sets the test for tall buildings, H1 and H2 push for more homes on large and small sites, and SD1 covers Opportunity Areas. The Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area lies wholly within Newham, and schemes above the Mayor's referral thresholds are also reported to City Hall.
In the former LLDC area, the LLDC Local Plan 2020 to 2036 remains the local policy test for now. Once the new Newham Local Plan is adopted it replaces both the 2018 plan and the LLDC plan within the borough, which is why timing matters for any application straddling that change.
Key policy areas we navigate
Height is steered to transport hubs such as Stratford and Canning Town, and elsewhere a tall building needs strong townscape and heritage justification.
Much of the south of the borough relies on Thames tidal defences, so riverside and dockside sites need a flood risk assessment and often a sequential test.
Major schemes are expected to follow the London Plan threshold approach, and viability evidence is scrutinised where lower levels are offered.
The LLDC Local Plan still guides land around the Olympic Park, including its sub-area policies for Stratford and the Park's fringes.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Newham is between plans in a way few boroughs are. A scheme can be judged against the 2018 plan, the LLDC plan and a sound but not yet adopted replacement at the same time, and the weight each carries shifts as the council moves to adopt. A short appraisal saves redesign later.
HMO proposals are the other common pitfall. The borough-wide direction, the boundary exclusion from 2013 and the council's focus on family housing mean that evidence on lawful use and on local context needs to be right first time.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across London
We cover every council area in London. See our main London planning consultants page.
Newham Planning FAQs
Has Newham adopted its new Local Plan?
The Inspector's report arrived on 18 August 2026 and found the plan sound subject to main modifications. The council must now vote to adopt it at full Council, after which there is a six-week window for High Court challenge. Until then the 2018 plan remains the adopted plan.
Who decides planning applications on the Olympic Park now?
Newham Council has done so since 1 December 2024, when the London Legacy Development Corporation's planning powers returned to the borough. The LLDC Local Plan and its guidance still apply to that area until the new Newham Local Plan replaces them.
Do I need permission for a three-bedroom HMO in East Ham?
Almost certainly. Newham's Article 4 Direction has required permission for a change from a house to a small HMO since 31 July 2013 across the borough outside the former LLDC area. If the use began before then, a Lawful Development Certificate may confirm it.
Can I replace sash windows in a Forest Gate conservation area?
Often not without consent. The Durham Road, Romford Road and Woodgrange Road conservation areas have Article 4 Directions removing some householder rights. Like-for-like repairs are usually fine, but changes of material or design generally need permission and a short heritage justification.
What should I check first on a Royal Docks site?
Flood risk from the Thames and docks, any height limits linked to London City Airport, the Opportunity Area Planning Framework and whether the site is allocated. A feasibility study brings these together before design work starts.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Planning a project in Stratford, Forest Gate, East Ham or the Royal Docks? Book a free 15-minute call, or read our guides to HMO Article 4 rules and converting a house into flats.