Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

B3 Existing business floorspace

  • The Council will protect existing business floorspace throughout the borough.
  • Proposals resulting in the net loss of business floorspace within the CAZ, Bunhill and Clerkenwell AAP area, PELs, LSISs, Town Centres, LSAs, and non-designated locations, either through change of use or redevelopment, will be refused unless there are exceptional circumstances which demonstrate:
    1. there is no demand for the use of the floorspace, unit, building and/or site for a business use appropriate to the role and function of the area. Evidence must be submitted demonstrating that such space has been vacant and continuously marketed for a period of at least 24 months, in line with Appendix 1. There is no requirement for business floorspace to be vacant before the start of the marketing period, however evidence of vacancy will be required at the time of application. For proposals for loss of Class E, this must include marketing for the current use as well as other Class E uses (where a particular element of Class E has been secured by condition Part C applies); and
    2. the loss of business floorspace – either individually or cumulatively – would not compromise the operation of the wider area, and that the proposed nonbusiness use is compatible with existing uses (including consideration of amenity impacts on uses in the vicinity). Or
    3. where it can be robustly evidenced that the existing building and/or site is no longer suitable for its existing business use and the existing building and/or site cannot reasonably be redeveloped for continued business use.
  • For proposals where the business floorspace is conditioned to be within a particular Class E use, the property must be marketed for that particular use for at least 6 months to demonstrate that there is no longer demand for that use before being able to utilise full Class E flexibility, as set out in Appendix 1.
  • Where existing business uses are industrial in nature – i.e. light industrial uses (subject to provisions of Class E), B2 general industrial or B8 storage and distribution uses, or Sui Generis uses which are akin to industrial uses – net loss of floorspace will only be allowed where the following marketing requirements have been met:
    1. marketing requirements for proposals involving the net loss of industrial uses within the LSIS must market the floorspace for continued industrial use;
    2. where a proposal is outside an LSIS, marketing must be primarily for industrial use but could include marketing for other business uses (offices and research and development) as a potential option.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan