Our Response to the New London Plan
In summer 2026, the Greater London Authority launched a consultation on a new Draft London Plan. This important document will provide the spatial development strategy for the whole of London and sits above the borough plans. It aims to deliver 558,000 new homes over the next decade in London.
Good Growth and heritage are compatible; indeed heritage is a core component of Good Growth. London’s historic places are central to its identity and an important driver of character-led growth and regeneration. We have therefore provided detailed comments on the Draft London Plan. We look forward to working with the GLA to ensure that the plan provides a positive strategy for London's heritage while delivering the growth London needs.
Our full response to the Draft London Plan can be downloaded below:
Towards a new London Plan
In summer 2025, Historic England responded to an initial public consultation on the new London Plan. While we believe the London Plan 2021 provides a strong foundation on which to build the next plan, we also recognise the need for growth and change. Bold and creative approaches will be needed to meet the challenge of delivering Good Growth, while respecting London’s much-loved heritage and reinforcing its identity.
Our full response can be downloaded below:
London housing research
The large amount of new housing needed in London in the next ten years presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Historic England has partnered with consultants Allies and Morrison to explore how new homes may be provided in ways that respond to London’s character and reinforce its identity.
Our research suggests that London’s successful high-density historic places can provide inspiration for the homes and neighbourhoods of the future. We have examined the potential of three approaches to providing new housing: adaptive re-use, sensitive intensification, and contextual transformation. All three can be led by character. Our full research report can be downloaded below.
London's Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)
The Mayor of London has produced the first London-wide Local Nature Recovery Strategy with the aim of reversing biodiversity loss in the capital.
Historic England was asked by the Greater London Authority to produce an advice note to accompany the strategy. This is based on the premise that nature recovery projects can deliver joint outcomes for biodiversity, heritage, and communities. In this note, we provide steps to identify whether there are historic environment considerations on your site, along with associated sources of information.
Further information can also be found on Historic England's web pages on Nature Recovery and Heritage.
Also of interest
