Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

B4 Affordable workspace

  • Within the CAZ, Bunhill and Clerkenwell AAP area, CAZ fringe Spatial Strategy areas (Angel and Upper Street; and Kings Cross and Pentonville Road):
    1. major development proposals involving 1,000sqm or more net additional office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research development floorspace must incorporate 10% affordable workspace (as a proportion of proposed office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/ research and development floorspace GIA) to be leased to the Council at a peppercorn rent for a period of at least 20 years.
    2. Major development proposals involving 10,000sqm or more net additional office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace must incorporate 10% affordable workspace (as a proportion of proposed office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace GIA) to be leased to the Council at a peppercorn rent in perpetuity.
  • Within the Vale Royal/Brewery Road Locally Significant Industrial Site (LSIS) and other LSISs, major development proposals involving 3,000sqm or more net additional office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace must incorporate 10% affordable workspace (as a proportion of proposed office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace GIA) to be leased to the Council at a peppercorn rent for a period of 20 years.
  • Within the remaining Town Centres and PELs, major development proposals involving 2,500sqm or more net additional office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace must incorporate 10% affordable workspace (as a proportion of proposed office and/or research and development and/or a Sui Generis use akin to office/research and development floorspace GIA) to be leased to the Council at a peppercorn rent for a period of 20 years.
  • All proposals which provide affordable workspace must prepare an Affordable Workspace Statement to be submitted alongside the relevant planning application.
  • Affordable workspace must be built to at least Category A fit out, and must provide a high standard of amenity for occupiers, including access to relevant servicing and facilities.
  • Proposals for major commercial development not covered by Parts A to C – such as hotels and retail – may be required to provide affordable workspace and/or affordable retail space, subject to viability. Priority will be given to on-site provision.
  • Site-specific viability assessments will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. This could include:
    • where a significant shift in macro-economic conditions has occurred which has a demonstrable negative impact on the delivery of development.
    • where a development is proposed which is of a wholly different type and is therefore not reflected by any of the typologies used in the viability assessment that informed the Local Plan.
    • where a development is proposed which demonstrates a very close alignment to a typology shown to be unviable at full policy compliance in the viability assessment that informed the Local Plan.
    Where site-specific viability assessments are accepted, proposals must provide the maximum viable amount of onsite affordable workspace, informed by detailed viability evidence consistent with the Development Viability SPD. Where the Council accepts a level of affordable workspace that does not comply with policy requirements, the Council will impose a late stage review mechanism which would be triggered three months prior to practical completion and will reassess the construction costs and commercial values of the scheme at that point in time.
  • Off-site financial contributions for affordable workspace may be sought in exceptional circumstances. The following exceptional circumstances may be considered:
    1. Where the affordable workspace to be provided on site does not meet the qualitative criteria, and where it can be demonstrated that the on-site provision of such workspace is inappropriate.
    2. Where a proposal demonstrates exceptional circumstances outlined in Part G, a site-specific financial viability assessment can also be used to determine the maximum viable off-site affordable workspace financial contribution.
  • On mixed use proposals which deliver on-site affordable housing, in exceptional circumstances, where the provision of affordable workspace will undermine the ability to the scheme to secure affordable housing compliant with the Policy H3: Genuinely affordable housing, the provision of affordable housing will take priority.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan