Draft Supplementary Planning Documents for Consultation

We are working on updating existing SPDs, and on new SPDs. These provide further details on the implementation of policies and/or site allocations for key development sites as contained within the adopted Local Plan.

We are currently consulting on the three draft SPDs as set out on this page. A further phase of consultations is expected to start in January on five more draft SPDs covering Biodiversity, Trees, Local Views, Transport and Domestic Retrofit.

Current consultations

We are currently consulting on the following draft SPDs until Thursday 22 January 2026:

Draft Affordable Housing SPD
Draft Planning Obligations SPD
Draft Sustainable Construction Checklist SPD – Guidance Document and Excel spreadsheet

How to respond

We would welcome your views. Please make clear in your response which consultations you are responding to. You can respond in the following ways:

By email to LocalPlan@richmond.gov.uk
By post to Spatial Planning and Design, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ

There are reference copies to view at the Civic Centre and in all of the borough’s libraries. View library details, including opening hours.

Please note that responses are not treated as confidential, and any anonymous responses will not be accepted.

What happens next?

After the consultation ends, and having considered your views, the final SPDs will be adopted by the Council.

Once adopted, SPDs become a material consideration when assessing future planning applications.

Draft Affordable Housing SPD

Consultation until 22 January 2026.

The draft Affordable Housing SPD has been updated to reflect the Council’s priorities around the delivery of affordable housing and the contributions developers are expected to make. The draft SPD updates the existing version from 2014 and the 2022 version, which was consulted upon but not adopted.

This draft SPD reflects updates to national, regional and local policy and guidance including the updated London Plan (2021) and new or updated London-wide guidance and provides further guidance on how viability will be assessed within the planning application process.

Draft Planning Obligations SPD

Consultation until 22 January 2026.

The draft Planning Obligations SPD is an update of the existing SPD (2020) following the adoption of the Local Plan in October 2025, and sets out how the impacts of developments will be mitigated through planning obligations, including in relation to climate change, affordable workspace, employment and skills, transport, open space and social infrastructure.

The draft SPD seeks to ensure that financial contributions and other planning obligations can be efficiently secured through the planning application process, reducing the need for case-by-case negotiation. An updated Planning Obligations calculator will sit alongside the SPD following adoption, to assist developers with understanding requirements from an early stage.

Draft Sustainable Construction Checklist SPD

Guidance Document and Excel spreadsheet – consultation until 22 January 2026.

The Sustainable Construction Checklist (SCC) SPD consists of two components:

An Excel spreadsheet (scores are calculated as the Checklist is completed) (a required submission document)
An accompanying Guidance Document which provides advice on completing the spreadsheet, sustainability accreditation, energy statements, and signposting to relevant policies and resources.

The SCC SPD is an update of the existing SPD (2020) to reflect the ambitious approach to sustainable construction and energy efficiency in the adopted Local Plan, as well as to reflect the latest national and regional policy changes and guidance since the last update.

The format of the draft SCC SPD spreadsheet has been updated to include multiple tailored Checklists with applicants only required to complete the Checklist relevant to their development (or more if a mix of development types is proposed).

Past consultations archive

We previously consulted on the following draft SPDs:

Draft Local Views Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – until 5 September 2022
Draft Affordable Housing SPD – until 1 August 2022

Neither of these draft SPDs were taken forward to adoption at the time.

An updated Draft Affordable Housing SPD (2025) is currently being consulted on. A draft Local Views SPD is expected to be consulted on in January 2026.

Details of the previous consultations are retained on this page, including the consultation responses received.

Draft Local Views Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

Closed 5 September 2022.

This was a new SPD setting out those existing protected views that have already been adopted through the Local Plan, as well as additional ‘new’ locally important views.

This has arisen from the Urban Design Study, a comprehensive boroughwide townscape character assessment. The Council’s consultants undertook a detailed exercise, based on site visits as well as through desktop research. The SPD was intended to be used by applicants when preparing planning applications to ensure the relevant view is protected where there are future development proposals that may affect it.

We asked for your views on the draft Local Views SPD (pdf, 18.8 MB). As this is a large file, you can also access a local views index where each view is listed as a way to identify specific views. There is also a boroughwide map (pdf, 12.2 MB) of all the views.

Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) - superseded

Closed 1 August 2022.

The draft Affordable Housing SPD provided further detailed guidance to support the adopted Local Plan policies with regard to affordable housing and how viability would be assessed within the planning process.

The draft SPD consisted of: