Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

R10 Culture and the Night-Time Economy

  • New cultural uses should be located in the CAZ or Town Centres, particularly in Cultural Quarters. Such uses should:
    1. complement existing uses in the surrounding area and mitigate/prevent any adverse impacts on the amenity and continued operation, of these uses, in line with the ‘agent-of-change’ principle;
    2. be accessible by a range of sustainable transport modes, including walking, cycling and public transport; and
    3. provide high quality buildings that are designed to be inclusive, accessible and flexible.
  • Proposals involving the redevelopment, re-provision of cultural uses, intensification of existing cultural uses (except for public houses), or the provision of new cultural uses, including in locations outside of the CAZ and Town Centres must:
    1. ensure that the function and role of the existing cultural use is not diminished or put at risk by any proposed changes, particularly where proposals involve development of other uses (including sensitive uses such as residential) as part of mixed use redevelopment;
    2. provide high quality buildings that are designed to be inclusive, accessible and flexible, and in the case of proposals for intensification, explore opportunities to improve design standards in existing buildings;
    3. be conditioned to ensure retention of the specific cultural use; and
    4. where there is a significant intensification of the cultural use, incorporate appropriate measures to limit effects of sound, vibration and other effects of the re-provided/intensified cultural use on existing and potential future land uses in the area, in line with the ‘agent-of-change’ principle.
    5. where use is only intended to operate during evening/night-time hours, investigate potential for allowing daytime uses to activate the space, including on a meanwhile basis.
  • The loss and/or change of use of cultural facilities in the borough will be strongly resisted. Any proposals for the loss and/or change of use of such facilities must:
    1. demonstrate that the premises have been vacant for a continuous period of at least two years. Continuous marketing evidence to cover this period must be provided, to demonstrate that there is no reasonable prospect of the unit being used for continued cultural use or other suitable cultural uses. Marketing should also be considered for main town centre uses consistent with the character and function of the area where relevant. Such evidence must meet the marketing and vacancy requirements set out in Appendix 1;
    2. ensure that the character of an area and/or any wider cultural function is not adversely impacted by the loss; and
    3. ensure that the proposed use is appropriate for the area, including through assessment against the agent-of-change Policy DH5.
  • Proposals for new night-time economy uses (including redevelopment/intensification of existing night-time economy uses) will only be acceptable within the CAZ or in Town Centres. Where proposed, night-time economy uses must:
    1. complement existing uses in the surrounding area and mitigate/prevent any adverse impacts on the amenity and continued operation, of these uses, in line with the ‘agent-of-change’ principle;
    2. promote access via sustainable modes of transport and avoid reliance on private vehicular transport, including private hire vehicles; and
    3. investigate potential for allowing daytime uses to activate the space, including on a meanwhile basis, where the use is only intended to operate during evening/night-time hours.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan