Policy information sourced from Hackney Local Plan 2033

LP29 Affordable Workspace and Low Cost Employment Floorspace

A. New major employment and mixed used development in the Borough’s designated employment areas, the CAZ and town centres should provide affordable or low cost workspace, equating to a minimum of 10% of gross new employment floorspace.

Re-provision of Low Cost Employment Floorspace

B. Major employment and mixed use schemes involving the redevelopment of existing low cost employment floorspace must re-provide the maximum economically feasible amount of low cost employment floorspace in perpetuity (refer to Appendix 1), at equivalent rents and service charges, suitable for the existing or equivalent uses, subject to current lease arrangements and the desire of existing businesses to remain on-site.

Affordable Workspace

C. If the low cost employment floorspace equates to less than 10% of gross new employment floorspace or there is no low cost workspace to be re-provided as part of a major development scheme, new affordable workspace should be provided as follows:

  1. Development in the Shoreditch POA: at least 10% (offset by the amount of low cost employment floorspace provided) of the new employment floorspace (gross) should be affordable at no more than 40% of the locality’s market rent in perpetuity, subject to viability.
  2. In remaining POAs, the CAZ and town centres: at least 10% (offset by the amount of low cost employment floorspace provided) of the new employment floorspace (gross) should be affordable at no more than 60% of the locality’s market rent in perpetuity, subject to viability.

D. New affordable workspace should normally be provided on-site. Only in exceptional circumstances where it can be demonstrated robustly that this is not appropriate in terms of the policies in this Plan, it may be provided off-site. A cash-in-lieu contribution will only be accepted where this would have demonstrable benefits in furthering affordable workspace in the Borough and other policies in this Plan.

E. In circumstances where it is viable, both low cost employment floorspace and new affordable workspace should be provided.

F. Where additional floorspace is proposed through amended planning applications (i.e. through re-submissions or variations of existing planning applications or submission of a new planning application for an extension resulting in an increase in existing employment floorspace) within four years of the commencement of the original planning permission and the total amount of new employment floorspace exceeds 1000 sqm, affordable or low cost workspace will be sought in line with A and B above.

For more information please see the Hackney Local Plan 2033