Policy information sourced from Hammersmith & Fulham Planning Guidance
HS1 Amenity space
New dwellings
All new dwellings should have access to an area of amenity space, appropriate to the type of housing being provided. The council will expect to see a more generous provision of outdoor amenity space than the minimum provision standards in the Housing SPG and the Play and Informal Recreation SPG accompanying the London Plan.
Every new family (3 or more bedrooms) dwelling should have access to amenity or garden space of no less than 36 square metres. Family dwellings (3 or more bedrooms) with accommodation at garden level should have at least one area of private open space with direct access to it from the dwelling. For family dwellings on upper floors this space may be provided either as a balcony or terrace and/or communally within the building’s curtilage.
Where communal open space is provided, development proposals should demonstrate that the space:
- has a well designed area for children’s play adequate to meet the needs of the development;
- is overlooked by surrounding development;
- is accessible to wheelchair users and other disabled people;
- is designed to take advantage of direct sunlight;
- has suitable long term management arrangements in place to ensure open space is well managed over the life of the development.
Conversions
Where a property proposed for conversion includes a rear garden or amenity space, then it should be usable for a family sized unit (3 or more bedrooms) with direct access to it from that dwelling.
Balconies and Terraces
Where balconies and or terraces are provided they must be designed to respect the amenity of neighbours and be designed so as not to detract from the character of the surroundings. Balconies provided to meet amenity space requirements should have a minimum depth and width of 1500mm.
For more information please see the Hammersmith & Fulham Planning Guidance