This meeting of the Executive Decision of Waltham Forest Council was scheduled to address apologies, declarations of interest, and a review of the local list of validation requirements for planning applications. The meeting was scheduled to be held without public access. Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader (Housing and Regeneration), was scheduled to be the decision maker.

Local List of Validation Requirements for Planning Applications

The main item scheduled for discussion was the adoption of an updated local list of validation requirements for planning applications. Justin Carr, Assistant Director Development Management & Building Control Place, prepared a report that recommended that Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader (Housing & Regeneration), adopt the updated list.

The report pack noted that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that local planning authorities should publish a list of their information requirements for planning applications, and that this list should be reviewed at least every two years. The report stated that the government has introduced a new national validation requirement relating to the submission of a fire statement for certain types of development, and that several policies in the 2021 London Plan require the submission of documents as part of the application process. The report pack also noted that The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 states that local planning authorities are only able to request information based on a local validation requirement list where it has been produced within the last two years of the date of the submission of a planning application.

The report pack included a summary of the changes to the list:

• Updating of weblinks and references to other documents
• Including National requirement for biodiversity net gain information
• Updated requirement for air quality assessment, basement impact assessment, biodiversity report, construction demolition statement, district heat assessment, marketing strategy assessment, construction logistics plan, delivery and servicing plan, flood risk assessment, lighting assessment, parking management plans, retail impact assessment and surface water drainage assessment, all as a result of new Local Plan policy and/or updated best practice.
• New requirement for overheating assessment, tall buildings assessment, purpose built student housing demand study and urban greening assessment , as a result of new Local Plan policy.
• New local requirement for biodiversity net gain.

The report pack stated that consultation took place online for a period of 3 weeks from 20 June 2025 to 11 July 2025, including direct email to 2,800 planning contacts (agents/developers), and that seven responses were received. A summary of the comments received and responses were included as an appendix to the report. Some of the comments received during the consultation included concerns about proportionality for small-scale and minor applications, duplication and document overload, and clearer distinction between validation vs determination requirements.

Equalities Analysis Screening

The report pack included an Equalities Analysis Screening which stated that the decision to revise the council's local validation list has no direct impact on age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, or care leavers. The screening stated that no equalities impact had been identified in relation to the decision to revise the council's local validation list, and that individual applications will be subject to their own equality assessments wherever relevant.

Appendices

The report pack included the following appendices:

• Appendix 1 - Response to Consultation
• Appendix 2 - Validation Checklist
• Appendix 3 - Equalities screening