Local Plan examination hearings that were due to start on Tuesday 7 July cannot go ahead as planned, following instructions from the Planning Inspectorate.
The hearings have been postponed due to a letter by the Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP to Planning Inspectors for the City of London Draft Local Plan. Both inspectors are also appointed to examine the Tower Hamlets Draft Local Plan, joined by a third inspector.
New dates for the Tower Hamlets Local Plan hearings will be provided by the Planning Inspectorate in due course.
The Ministerial letter references the Tower of London, which is designated as a UNESCO ‘World Heritage Site’. As the Tower of London is located in Tower Hamlets, our draft Local Plan examination hearings have been postponed by the Planning Inspectorate, while the Minister’s letter to the City of London is addressed.
The Local Plan is Tower Hamlets Council’s most important planning document. It sets out how the borough should grow in the future, including where new homes, jobs and other developments should be located. It also supports the Mayor’s wider plans to reduce overcrowding and improve opportunities for local people.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “This is disappointing for both Tower Hamlets and the City of London. The Tower Hamlets Local Plan sets out our clear and practical plan to support the housing and economic growth that our borough, our city, and our country need. This includes delivering the genuinely affordable homes that are urgently required to tackle London's desperate and worsening housing crisis."
For further information, please view our Local Plan Examination web pages.
Posted on Friday 3rd July 2026