London Small Site Design Code

A public consultation on this document is now open.

What is the London Small Site Design Code London Plan Guidance and why do we need it?

The London Small Site Design Code has been prepared and developed alongside the draft London Plan 2026. The Code establishes a clear, London-wide framework for delivering more homes on small sites (under 0.25 hectares) and it supports draft London Plan Policy MBUL2, under which schemes that comply with the Code should be considered acceptable in principle in design terms by local planning authorities.

The Code will be London Plan Guidance and provide applicants and decision-makers with a consistent set of measurable design parameters, increasing certainty and reducing debate about what constitutes acceptable development on small sites.

It provides a baseline for small site development across London and does not represent the only forms of development that can be permitted on small sites but rather a set of site types which benefit from the presumption that a proposal is acceptable in principle in design terms if the Code is complied with.

Plan-making authorities may choose to issue a local design code for small sites that more directly applies particular design aspects for their plan area. This may be because a plan-making authority may wish to take into account locally specific characteristics and contexts that aren’t addressed in the London Small Site Design Code.

This document should not be confused with the Small Site Design Code LPG which was published in 2023 to support London boroughs in developing local small site design codes.

How has this guidance been prepared?

This guidance has been prepared by the Greater London Authority (GLA) with input and advice from industry professionals. Early engagement with a group of stakeholders, including architects and London boroughs, was carried out in early 2026 to inform the development of the Code.

It has been prepared in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty and an Equality Impact Assessment has been produced which can be viewed in the document library. Please share your views on our assessments and any potential equality impacts by completing the survey below. We have also undertaken a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening of the London Small Site Design Code LPG which you can viewed in the document library on the right-hand side of this page.

How can you take part?

We would like to get your feedback on the draft London Small Site Design Code LPG. Please give us your views by completing the survey below. The consultation will close on 4 December 2026. We will be running consultation events on the guidance. You can register to attend an online consultation event by selecting the link for the event you want to attend on the right hand side of this page.

If you have any queries about this consultation, please email SSDCconsultation@london.gov.uk

What happens next

All feedback will be reviewed and a consultation summary document will be published alongside the final guidance.

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