Policy information sourced from the Islington Local Plan

S10 Circular Economy and Adaptive Design

  • All developments must adopt a circular economy approach to building design and construction in order to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible and to minimise construction waste.
  • Buildings must be made from components and materials that can be re-used or recycled. Building design must enable deconstruction to ensure the maximum value of building components can be recovered and re-used at the end of the building’s life. Where demolition and remediation works are necessary, materials must be re-used and/or recycled.
  • A minimum 10% of the total value of materials used in the construction of both major and minor developments must derive from recycled and re-used content in the products and materials selected.
  • All developments must be designed to be flexible and adaptable to changing requirements and circumstances over their lifetime; including changes to the physical environment, market demands and land use.
  • All major developments (including refurbishment and redevelopment of existing buildings), minor new build developments, and larger minor extensions are required to provide an Adaptive Design Strategy as part of the SDCS. This must demonstrate how a circular economy approach has been adopted as part of the building design and construction, and how the building will adapt to change over its lifetime. The Strategy must include evidence to demonstrate that the development will be designed and constructed to:
    1. last as long as possible and suit its anticipated lifespan – the strategy must specify the intended overall design life of all buildings in the development;
    2. avoid construction waste and the unnecessary demolition of structures;
    3. be built in layers to allow elements of buildings to be replaced overtime, supporting a modular design;
    4. be adaptable – the plan form, layout and structure enables the building to be adapted to respond to change and/or adapted for various uses throughout its life;
    5. enable ease of deconstruction - building materials, components and products can be disassembled and re-used at the end of their useful life; and
    6. maximise the re-use and/or recycling of all materials arising from demolition and remediation works.
  • All development must minimise the environmental impact of materials through the use of sustainably-sourced, low impact and recycled materials, using local suppliers where feasible.
  • All developments are required to minimise the impact of construction on the environment and comply with Islington’s Code of Practice for Construction Sites.

For more information please see the Islington Local Plan