Draft London Plan 2026: What Developers Need to Know

Published in July 2026 and currently open for consultation, the Draft London Plan signals a significant shift in how sustainability performance will be assessed across new developments in London.

While the London Plan 2021 remains the adopted policy framework, developers bringing forward schemes today should understand the emerging requirements that are likely to shape future planning decisions.

The proposed policies move beyond a primary focus on regulated carbon emissions and offsetting, introducing more stringent requirements on:

• • Operational energy performance
  • Upfront embodied carbon
  • Whole-life carbon assessment
  • Heating system selection
  • Circular economy principles and climate resilience

Managing risk through design:
Why the Principal Designer role matters

In construction, some of the most important health and safety decisions are made long before anyone arrives on site. The way a building is planned, designed, coordinated and communicated can have a lasting impact on how safely it is built, maintained, adapted and eventually demolished. This is where the role of the Principal Designer is pivotal.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Principal Designer is appointed by the client on projects involving more than one contractor. Their statutory role is to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety during the pre-construction phase, working with the client, designers and wider project team to identify foreseeable risks and, wherever possible, eliminate, reduce or control them through the design process.

At its best, the role is not simply about compliance or producing documentation. It is about adding value at the point when the project team has the greatest opportunity to influence outcomes. By considering health and safety as part of design decision-making, rather than as an issue to be managed later on site, risks can be addressed earlier, more effectively and often more efficiently.

Why early involvement makes a difference

The Principal Designer’s role is most effective when aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work, ensuring health and safety considerations are embedded throughout project development rather than addressed retrospectively.

The earlier a Principal Designer is appointed, the more influence they can have from project inception. Early involvement allows risks to be considered alongside key decisions about site constraints, access, buildability, sequencing, materials, maintenance and future use before designs become fixed. It also helps ensure the right pre-construction information is gathered and shared with those who need it, reducing delays, avoiding unforeseen risks and supporting better decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

When the role is brought in too late, opportunities to remove or reduce risk may already have passed. Design assumptions may have been made, survey information may be incomplete, or significant hazards may only become apparent once the project is more difficult and costly to change.

For clients, this provides reassurance that their duties under CDM 2015 are being properly understood and supported. For designers, it creates a structured approach to identifying and communicating significant risks. For contractors and future building users, it helps ensure that health and safety considerations are embedded into the project from the outset.

£185 million student accommodation Hawthorne House completes.

We’re delighted to celebrate the completion of Hawthorne House, Unite Students’ purpose-built student accommodation development in Stratford, London.

Waterman appointed on major bridge inspections contract

Waterman has been appointed by the City of London Corporation, on behalf of City Bridge Foundation, to provide inspection services for five of London’s most iconic bridges.

Running for an initial six years, the contract will see our teams carrying out inspections of the following landmarks:

• Tower Bridge
• London Bridge
• Southwark Bridge
• Blackfriars Bridge
• Millennium Bridge

City Bridge Foundation is one of London’s oldest charitable foundations, with a history spanning more than 900 years. It plays a unique role in London, maintaining five iconic Thames bridges while using income from its investments to support charitable organisations and communities across the capital.