Policy information sourced from the Islington Development Management Policies

DM6.3 Protecting open space

Development is not permitted on any public open space and significant private open spaces

Development proposals within the immediate vicinity of public open space must not impact negatively on the amenity, ecological value and functionality of the space. All impacts must be negated through the design of the scheme.

Planning permission will not be given for any schemes which adversely affect designated SINCs of Metropolitan or Borough Grade 1 Importance. SINCs of Borough Grade II and Local Importance, and any other site of significant biodiversity value, will also be strongly protected.

For semi-private amenity spaces:

  • Development is not permitted on semi-private amenity spaces, including open space within housing estates and other similar spaces in the borough not designated as public open space within this document, unless the loss of amenity space is compensated and the development has over-riding planning benefits.
  • The council will encourage greater public use of suitable semi-private amenity spaces, including use as a publicly accessible open space, play space, wildlife habitat and for local food growing, provided the space remains substantially undeveloped and open, and provided that accessibility to the general public is improved. Privacy and other amenity issues, including in relation to existing residents within the vicinity of the space, shall be a key consideration in assessing the suitability of semi-private amenity spaces for greater public use.

Development of private open space is not permitted where there would be a significant individual or cumulative loss of open space/open aspect and/or where there would be a significant impact on amenity, character and appearance, biodiversity, ecological connectivity, cooling effect and/or flood alleviation effect.

The council will protect existing play spaces across the borough by resisting their loss, unless:

  • a replacement play space of equivalent size and functionality is provided to meet the needs of the local population. Where this is not possible development will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances where there are over-riding planning merits to the proposal, and the capacity of other local play spaces shall be increased through a financial contribution to pay for expanded and improved provision that is adequate to meet the needs that the space lost was capable of meeting, plus the needs associated with any uplift or intensification proposed; or
  • it can be demonstrated robustly that they are no longer required and that their loss would not lead to a shortfall in overall play provision in the local area.

All twelve of the borough’s adventure playgrounds will be protected and designated on the Policies Map.

See also Policy DM2.1 (Design) and Policy DM3.6 (Play space).

For more information please see the Islington Development Management Policies