Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

H4 Delivering high quality housing

  • All new C3 and C4 housing developments (including conversions and changes of use) and specialist housing identified in policies H7 to H9 and H11 must be designed and built to a high quality for the duration of its lifetime. A high quality dwelling is one which meets the criteria set out in this policy and accords with the Local Plan objectives and other relevant Local Plan policies. Sufficient information, such as detailed dwelling plans showing internal layout, must be provided at the earliest possible stage of an application, to allow for proper assessment of proposals.
  • Residential development must be functional, useable and comfortable space that has good amenity for occupiers of all ages. Regard must be had to the surrounding local context as part of the holistic consideration of inclusive design. Housing must be built to be accessible and adaptable to meet changing occupier circumstances over the lifetime of the development, and must provide 90% of dwellings to Category M4(2) ‘Accessible and Adaptable’ standard; and the remaining 10% of dwellings to ‘Wheelchair Adaptable Category M4(3)(2)(a)’ standard or, where Islington Council are responsible for allocating or nominating a person to live in that dwelling, Wheelchair Accessible Category M4(3)(2)(b) as set out in the Approved Document M of the Building Regulations.
  • The Council may, in limited circumstances, accept a S106 contribution in lieu of Category M4(3) units on site, where there is definitive local evidence (produced by the Council) of a supply/demand imbalance for wheelchair accessible units. This contribution will be used to finance the development of new and adapted wheelchair accessible units elsewhere in the borough where demand is more acute. Any units where the Council accepts a contribution in lieu must be designed to Category M4(2) standard, instead of M4(3). The process for securing this contribution, and the amount required, will be set out in a revised Inclusive Design SPD.
  • Residential development must meet or exceed the minimum space standards, and address other requirements for private internal space, as set out in the London Plan and relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG). Appropriate consideration must also be given to:
    1. providing sufficient space for the general and specific storage needs of residents (including those with disabilities) living within dense urban development, where options for storing possessions are often very limited;
    2. how recycling and waste arising from the occupation of the development will be stored, collected and managed, particularly for flatted residential development; and
    3. provision of rooms which are designed to function comfortably and efficiently for their intended purpose.
  • Good circulation space must be provided within each residential unit. Multi-storey dwellings must provide space for provision of a stair lift, and a suitably identified space for a through-the-floor lift from the entrance level.
  • In new housing development, all habitable rooms, kitchens and bathrooms are required to have a minimum floor to ceiling height of 2.6 metres (between finished floor level and finished ceiling level). In residential conversions, including extensions, where the original ceiling height is maintained, a lower ceiling height may be acceptable where it can be demonstrated that overall a good standard of daylight, natural ventilation and useable floorspace can be provided.
  • Layout and design must accord strictly with tenure blind principles to maximise opportunities for social interaction. Development must be designed from the outset to ensure shared building access for both market and affordable units. Where applicants have demonstrated that this is not possible and/or where shared building access would demonstrably impact the level of affordable housing on site, building access for affordable units must:
    1. be accessible and located on main frontages or as close as possible to main frontages, unless location away from main frontages results in improved residential amenity;
    2. ensure that the location of building access will not affect safety and security of residents or lead to negative perceptions of safety and security; and
    3. maintain the dignity of residents of affordable units and avoid locating building access for these units adjacent to waste/refuse areas and/or other building services.
  • Residential development, particularly flatted development and proposals involving the conversion of residential unit(s) into a larger number of units must consider the effect on the amenity of adjacent properties, and put in place measures to address any adverse effects raised. This consideration should include (but is not limited to):
    1. internal layout, including the relationship of rooms on different floors within the scheme, and the position of entrances, extensions and fire escapes;
    2. consideration of any overlooking or overshadowing impacts;
    3. the impact on existing delivery and servicing provision; and
    4. noise and vibration impacts (see also Part J of this policy).
  • All new residential units should be dual aspect, unless provision of dual aspect is demonstrated to be impossible or unfavourable. Where such circumstances are demonstrated, all single aspect units must:
    1. provide a good level of daylight for each habitable room, and optimise opportunity for direct sunlight;
    2. ensure that the aspect is not predominantly north-facing and does not face onto main roads or other significant sources of air pollution and/or noise and vibration, which would preclude opening windows;
    3. provide a good level of natural ventilation throughout the dwelling via passive/non-mechanical design measures; and
    4. ensure that future occupiers have a good level of privacy and do not experience adverse impacts from overlooking.
  • The design of all residential development is required to maximise natural light into the room (subject to passive heating and cooling considerations). The glazing to all habitable rooms must be generous and should aim to be not less than 20% of the internal floor area of the room. All dwellings should provide for direct sunlight to enter the main habitable rooms for a reasonable period of the day.
  • All development proposals which include residential units must fully assess noise and vibration impacts on and between dwellings, in line with Policy DH5. Proposals should:
    1. ensure residential units are sited away from sources of noise and vibration, to prevent impacts occurring; or
    2. Where this is not possible, provide a detailed assessment of noise and vibration impacts. Where noise and/or vibration effects are identified suitable mitigation measures must be put in place to reduce these effects, through the proposed layout (including the interaction of non-residential and residential uses in mixed use developments), design and materials. Effects will need to be suitably mitigated for planning permission to be granted.
  • All development proposals which include residential units must ensure that the overall approach to all entrances is logical, legible and level or gently sloping. The distance from parking spaces/drop-off points to the main entrance to the residential building must be no more than 50m. The total distance between a parking space/drop-off point and an individual dwelling entrance must be no more than 75m.
  • In all new residential development, the number of dwellings accessed from a single core must not be more than eight on each floor, although a smaller number is preferable. The following criteria must be addressed in relation to shared circulation space:
    1. Common/shared entrances should lead to a hall large enough for people to manoeuvre with shopping and/or baby buggies and/or wheelchairs with ease.
    2. All dwellings should be provided with step-free or lift access.
    3. Communal circulation corridors should ideally be 1,500mm wide, but no less than 1,200mm wide. Where they have an unobstructed width of less than 1,500mm, communal corridors should have wheelchair turning spaces at reasonable intervals.
    4. Access cores must provide an access control system, with entry phones in all dwellings linked to a main front door with remote electronic lock release.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan