Tower Hamlets
Planning & Building Contacts

Around 20 conservation areas include Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Wapping, Bow and the West India Docks. The Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf is a major financial and residential district with specific tall building policies. Whitechapel is a major town centre regeneration area. Significant tidal flood risk from the Thames affects large parts of the southern borough. The Wapping riverside has important maritime and industrial heritage.

Building regulations approval is required for most structural work, extensions, loft conversions, new windows and heating system changes. You may use either the council's own building control service or a private Approved Inspector. For listed buildings, building control must be coordinated with Listed Building Consent requirements.

Christ Church, Spitalfields (Grade I, Nicholas Hawksmoor) is one of the great English Baroque churches. Hawksmoor's St George-in-the-East (Grade I, Wapping) and St Anne's, Limehouse (Grade I) are further masterworks in the borough. The Spitalfields market area has the finest surviving Georgian commercial streetscape in London. The West India Docks (Grade I listed warehouses) at Canary Wharf are a major industrial heritage complex. Around 20 conservation areas protect diverse historic environments. Listed Building Consent is required in addition to planning permission for any works to a listed building that would affect its special architectural or historic interest, including internal works.

Extensive tidal flood risk from the Thames affects the southern parts of the borough - the Isle of Dogs and Wapping riverfront areas in particular lie within Flood Zone 3. The borough sits at very low elevation close to the Thames. A Flood Risk Assessment (including tidal flood risk and breach/overtopping scenarios) is required for development in flood risk zones. The Thames Barrier provides protection but residual risk remains.