Policy information sourced from the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area action plan
BC4 City Road
The City Road area is a linear route with significant concentrations of business uses at either end. There are significant opportunities for enhancement of business uses along City Road, connecting with Pentonville Road to create a commercial corridor and realise their full potential in terms of growth in business floorspace and meeting jobs projections. This would create links between the two important business nodes at King’s Cross and the City Fringe Opportunity Area.
Proposals for the redevelopment/intensification of sites with existing business floorspace must look to increase business floorspace provision as far as possible, in line with the Council’s priority for the City Road commercial corridor.
Development proposals must be clearly business-led. Any proposals involving a net loss of business floorspace – including lower specification, secondary office space - will be resisted.
City Road is generally considered suitable for a range of typologies from small stand-alone offices and workspaces to large floorplate Grade A offices. However, the southern part of City Road, between Bath Street and the City Road Basin, is considered particularly suitable for Grade A office floorspace, and the Council will encourage opportunities for site assembly in this area to facilitate development of a greater quantum and efficiency of business floorspace. The northern part of City Road, north of the City Road Basin up to the AAP boundary near to the Goswell Road/City Road junction, is considered a more suitable location for smaller offices.
The City Road Basin area has undergone comprehensive redevelopment in recent years, with several major residential-led developments recently completed or due to complete within the next five years. Opportunities for further significant development in this part of the Spatial Strategy area are likely to be limited. The focus in this area should be on an improved public realm, enhancing the area’s function as a place of recreation and relaxation.
The basin itself is important in terms of biodiversity value and for sporting activity related to the Islington Boat Club. Development proposals in the area must prevent any adverse impacts on the function of the basin, including Graham Street Gardens which has significant environmental and amenity value.
The Council supports greater public access around the basin with a wider ambition to link into the Regent’s Canal pathways. Proposals for residential moorings, including those which meet an identified housing need for boat dwellers, will only be permitted where:
- supporting uses and facilities are in place from the first use of the mooring;
- public access to and along the towpath is not impeded;
- they do not hinder navigation along the waterway;
- there is no impact on leisure provision; and
- there is no detrimental impact on air quality, nature conservation/biodiversity or the character of the waterway.
The Spatial Strategy area is a key location for the expansion of Islington’s Heat Network, with the delivery of Bunhill Phase 2 at the City Road/Central Street junction; and a potential new energy centre powered by a water source heat pump - Bunhill Phase 3 - at the City Road Basin. Any location proposed for a new energy centre must ensure that any potential amenity impacts on nearby residents and businesses arising from the operation of an energy centre, for example noise and vibration impacts, are fully mitigated/prevented.
An improved public realm along City Road is important to help realise the Council’s strategic aims for the City Road/Pentonville Road commercial corridor. All relevant development proposals along City Road must enhance the public realm, provide active frontages and contribute to an improved transport experience via sustainable modes of transport, in particular ensuring safe, convenient pedestrian access free from clutter. New street furniture is encouraged to support this, where sited to avoid adverse impacts. Improvements to pedestrian crossings and north/south permeability will be a priority alongside tree planting and new paved surfaces. New pedestrian crossings should be in line with pedestrian desire lines.
Improvements to links across City Road (including to areas within the London Borough of Hackney) will help to improve permeability with areas further south, particularly via Central Street.
The continued operational use of the City Road substation and National Grid 400kV network must be safeguarded.
For more information please see the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area action plan