Supplementary planning documents

A Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) provides detailed guidance on a policy in the Local Plan. The SPDs are in the Planning Policy Library.

The City of London Corporation consulted on a new Lighting Supplementary Planning Document, which provides advice on the lighting of buildings, streets and places.

The Lighting SPD will provide guidance for developers on lighting buildings and the spaces between them, to help them meet the requirements in the Local Plan and to support delivery of the Climate Action Strategy. The guidance will cover the design, delivery, operation, and maintenance of artificial light in the City of London.

The draft SPD includes a ‘Considerate Lighting Charter’ which we encourage all those involved in lighting the City to commit to. The Charter will set out simple yet important steps that everyone can take to ensure the right light, in the right place at the right time, controlled by the right system.

The consultation closed on 17 February and the responses are being considered.

Office Use

The City of London Corporation seeks to maintain and increase the amount and quality of office accommodation to promote the City’s role as the leading financial and business centre. Policy DM1.1 of the Local Plan states that planning applications to change office accommodation to other uses should be accompanied by evidence supporting the proposed change. The Office Use SPD gives guidance to applicants on the evidence needed to meet this requirement.

Planning Obligations

The Community Infrastructure Levy and Planning Obligations ensure that development contributes to the improvement of the City's environment and facilities. More information is available on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Planning Obligations (S106) page.

Thames and Riverside

The Thames Strategy SPD provides guidance to manage change along the Thames Riverside in accordance with London Plan and Local Plan policies.

Historic environment

Archaeology

The Archaeology and Development SPD provides guidance for  planning developments which may affect archaeology. It covers all stages of the planning process, including pre-application advice, archaeological assessment, archaeological evaluation, investigation, mitigation and recording, post excavation assessment, publication and archiving.

Conservation Area Management Strategies

 Conservation Area Character Summaries and Management Strategies are SPDs. SPDs are being prepared for all the City's Conservation Areas. 

Listed buildings

• The Barbican Estate is a mixed-use development constructed between 1963 and 1982 by the City of London Corporation, designed by architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. It includes two schools, an Arts Centre and more than 2,000 flats. In 2001 the whole estate was listed Grade II. In 2005 the Listed Building Management Guidelines SPD was adopted and updated in 2012. The guidelines help residents, those managing the estate and planning officers to assess what kind of work needs listed building consent. 
• The Golden Lane Estate is a mixed-use development constructed by the City Corporation between 1953 and 1962. The estate was listed Grade II in 1997, except for Crescent House which was listed at Grade II*. In June 2007 the Listed Building Management Guidelines SPD was adopted to help residents, those managing the estate and planning officers to assess what kind of work needs listed building consent.
• Leadenhall Market SPD is in two parts. The first part is the Character Summary and Management Strategy which analyses the special architectural and historical interest of the Conservation Area and explains how planning policies apply to it. The second part, the Listed Building Management Guidelines provides advice on the best practice for repairs and alterations to the Grade II* listed Market buildings and explains the planning permissions needed for works.

Protected Views

St Paul's Cathedral, the Monument, the Tower of London and other landmarks on the City skyline are protected by planning controls. The Protected Views SPD explains the locally protected Views in detail. 

More information,  including the St Paul’s Heights Grid and Monument Views, are on the Protected Views and tall buildings page.

Sustainable development and climate change

Air Quality SPD

This includes the theme of Air quality. The City Corporation has produced an Air Quality SPD to assist developers in minimising emissions and air pollution.

More information on the City Corporation’s actions to improve air quality are on the Air Quality pages.

Public transport, street and walkways

• The City Public Realm SPD sets out the City Corporation's vision for the public realm including the main principles for controlling change and informing street enhancement schemes and provides general guidance for street works to ensure there is consistency of form and quality. 
• The Freight and Servicing SPD sets out potential measures for managing freight through the planning process by minimising trips, matching freight demand to network capacity, and mitigating the impact of essential freight trips. 

Open spaces and recreation

• The Open Space Strategy SPD which sets out how the City Corporation protects and enhances the gardens in the City and seeks to create more open spaces. It guides the management and planning of open spaces.
• The Tree Strategy SPD gives advice on protecting and maintaining trees, undertaking work on existing trees and encourages tree planting.

Enforcement

The City Corporation’s Enforcement Plan SPD sets out the City's approach to planning enforcement. It explains the principles and procedures the City Corporation follows to ensure that development and works to trees are properly regulated and contains standards and targets to be worked towards.

Planning Advice Note

A Planning Advice Note (PAN) provides technical advice and practical guidance on a specific policy areas. 

Preventing Suicides in High Rise Buildings and Structures PAN

This PAN provides information for developers and others on how to minimise the risk of suicide from proposed developments. It supports the City of London Local Plan policy which aims to minimise the risk of suicide from buildings and structures in the City of London.

The Planning Advice Note is in the SPD section of the Planning Policy Library

Draft Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Optioneering PAN

For the Square Mile to reach net zero by 2040, new developments need to minimise all carbon emissions, whether they come from running the building, or the carbon embodied in the building itself. The City Corporation developed a draft Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Optioneering Planning Advice Note (WLC PAN) to help achieve this. The WLC PAN sets out how planning proposals should go through an ‘optioneering’ exercise to look at different types of refurbishment that retain existing fabric, as well as a more substantial redevelopment of the site, involving demolition. The WLC PAN is being revised to incorporate comments received during the public consultation in autumn 2022 and will be published in late spring of 2023.