The Southwark Plan - Updated 4 April 2007

At the Council Assembly meeting on March 28th, Southwark Council has agreed on a number of modifications to the Southwark Plan. These modifications had been requested by the Secretary of State who had directed Southwark Council not to adopt the Southwark Plan unless the plan was modified accordingly.
These modifications are now available for public formal consultation for the next six weeks.

Please note that:

  • the consultation is on the response that Southwark Council has made in response to the request of the Secretary of State NOT on the Secretary of State's modifications;
  • the consultation is on these modification ONLY. The rest of the Southwark Plan cannot be objected to or supported at this stage.

This consultation period runs from April 3 to May 15, 2007.

The Willowbrook Centre is able to continue to provide support to residents wishing to be involved at this stage.

Read more about the modifications

Previous updates - March 21 2007

Southwark Council's Executive and Planning Committee met on March 20th to consider how to respond to the Secretary of State's decision to designate higher urban densities for Rotherhithe, East Dulwich, Nunhead and Herne Hill.
The Planning Committee has recommended that the Council challenge the Secreatry of State "through the courts if necessary to force the Secretary to re-consider her decision."
More information on this new events has been published by Councillor Richard Thomas on his blog.

Previous updates - March 1 2007

The Secreatry of State, supporting the objections on the Southwark Plan by the GLA, has requested that the plan be modified to designate Rotherhithe, Herne Hill, Nunhead and East Dulwich as urban areas.

The change in designation will involve a significant increase in densit for the areas.

Formal procedure

On January 24 2007, the Council Assembly approved the Southwark Plan.

Following that decision the Council sent out a notice of its intention to adopt the plan to anyone who submitted representations at any stage of the UDP and to the Secretary of State.

This notice was subject to the direction of the Secretary of State who has had 4 weeks to evaluate the plan in its final version.
At the end of this period the Secretary of State has notified the Council of her request to modify the Southwark Plan

The modification, originally submitted as an objection to the Southwark Plan by the GLA, will involve the designation of Rotherhithe, Herne Hill, Nunhead and East Dulwich as urban rather than suburban areas.

What has happened so far to the Southwark Plan

  • 2000: the Council recognised the need for the 1995 Unitary Development Plan to be updated.
  • 2001: Key Issues paper and Local Issues papers is drafted.
  • November 2002: First Draft Deposit Version was drafted and objections and representations of support were submitted during the consultation stage. The Council negotiated with objectors leading to
  • March 2004: Revised Deposit Version. Objections and representations of support were submitted and another version was produced ahead of the Public Inquiry.
  • July 2005: A Public Inquiry overseen by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, was held to resolve any outstanding objections made during the consultation period to the emerging Southwark Plan.
  • The Inspector considered these objections and the evidence presented at the public inquiry and in March 2006 issued a Report containing his recommendations for the plan.
  • May 2006: Southwark Council have considered the Inspector’s recommendations contained in his report and proposed to make modifications to the emerging Southwark Plan.
    The proposed modifications were approved by Council Assembly on June 28 2006 and have been available for formal public comment until 13 October 2006.