Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

H2 New and existing conventional housing

  • Islington aims to meet and exceed the housing target of 7,750 units by 2028/29, which equates to an annualised target of 775 per annum. The overall housing target for the plan period from 2020/21 to 2036/37 is a minimum of 13,175 homes.
  • Development proposals involving new housing – regardless of site size – must demonstrate that use of the building/site is optimised. Particular consideration must be given to:
    1. the contribution to meeting need for particular types of housing;
    2. the contribution to meeting the borough’s housing targets
    3. the level of housing density;
    4. social and strategic infrastructure requirements and impacts on existing and/or planned infrastructure; and
    5. interaction with other policy priorities, including the provision of new business floorspace to meet projected jobs growth and sustainable and inclusive design measures.
  • Loss of Existing housing
    The following applies to proposals resulting in the loss of existing housing:
    1. The loss of existing self-contained housing will be permitted where the housing is replaced by at least equivalent floorspace and does not involve the net loss of more than one unit.
    2. The loss of existing affordable housing units will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances where there is no net loss of affordable housing floorspace overall and in terms of social rented floorspace.
    3. Conversion of two or more units into a single dwelling is considered material and would require planning permission.
  • All development proposals for conventional residential dwellings (including conversions and extensions) must provide a good mix of unit sizes which contributes to meeting the housing size mix priorities set out in Table 3.2.
  • Concentrations of one-bedroom units – overall and as part of constituent market and affordable elements of a proposal – will not be acceptable.
  • Studio and bedsit units will be permitted where all of the following exceptional circumstances are demonstrated:
    1. Studios/bedsits would constitute a very small proportion of the housing mix of a development proposal, both overall and/or in any constituent market or affordable elements;
    2. The delivery of additional higher priority unit sizes and/or proposed higher priority units of an increased size is not possible; and
    3. Provision of studios/bedsits would result in a high quality dwelling in accordance with Policy H4 and other relevant design policies.
  • To maintain a supply of family homes, the conversion of a residential unit into a larger number of self-contained units will only be permitted where:
    1. The total floor area of the existing dwelling is in excess of 125sqm GIA;
    2. The total number of new homes resulting from the conversion is optimised in line with the housing size mix priorities; and
    3. The dwelling mix does not contain any studio/bedsit units or more than one one bedroom unit.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan