Policy information sourced from Newham Local Plan 2018

H1 Building Sustainable Mixed Communities

Proposals that address the following strategic principles, spatial strategy and design, technical and management criteria will be supported:

  • Strategic Principles:
    • Enable, from a range of sources, a net increase of additional quality homes exceeding 43,000 between 2018 and 2033 in general accordance with the ‘delivery phases’ outlined below;
    • Ensure quality neighbourhoods are created and secure a step change in residential quality, requiring all developments to provide high levels of design quality and have access to adequate supporting infrastructure and community facilities, in accordance with Policies SP2, SP3, SP8 and H3;
    • Secure the delivery of a mix and balance of housing types, including a significant increase in family housing to replace that lost to conversion, through requiring 39% of the number of new homes on all sites capable of delivering 10 units or more being 3 bedroom homes for families, subject to the appropriate mix considerations below;
    • Sites allocated, or with a recent consent for residential or part-residential development, should be developed at least in part for conventional housing; and e. Housing densities and site locations should not inhibit the provision of quality family accommodation.
  • Spatial Strategy:
    • The majority of new housing will come forward on Strategic Sites allocated by the spatial policies as per Appendix 1, predicated on plan-led, managed release;
    • The delivery of non-strategic sites (Table 8), allocated for either residential or residential-led mixed-use development to assist in the delivery of a mix and balance of housing types, sizes and tenures; further information is to be found in the sites schedule, Appendix 2;
    • All new housing sites will comprise a mixture of housing sizes and / or types or tenure;
    • Where the inclusion of purpose built Build to Rent accommodation is justified as part of a broader housing mix, delivery should occur on Strategic Sites or, where units will operate as HMOs, be in HMO appropriate locations in accordance with policy H3;
    • [De-]Conversion of commercial and community use premises located in out of centre ribbon development to residential uses will be encouraged, alongside bringing spaces above shops [back] into viable residential use in accordance with Policy SP7 and subject to Policies H3, SP3, J2, INF5 and INF8;
    • Housing densities will reflect environmental capacity, (as per SC1-5) local context and character (in line with Policies S1 – S6 and SP3) and be appropriate in relation to the availability of open space (including public green space, private gardens and play space), transport, retail, community and other supporting facilities as per S1 and INF9; and
    • Windfall sites, (not identified by site allocations and outside of SIL, LIL and MOL and greenbelt) which come forward for residential development, will be supported subject to their addressing all relevant policies in the Plan.
  • Design and Technical Criteria:
    • The appropriate mix of housing sizes, types and tenures will be determined through:
      • primarily the consideration of the need to secure quality, mixed and balanced communities;
      • scheme viability;
      • the availability of subsidy;
      • the existing mix of housing in the area; and
      • the individual circumstances of the site in terms of site conditions, local context and site features, particularly on sites delivering below 10 units.
    • All new homes should meet the internal space standards of the London Plan as a minimum, as well as provide adequate external private open space (as set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance1 and subsequent updates) or if specialist housing, those set out in Policy H3;
    • 90% of new build homes should meet requirement M4[2] of Building Regulations Approved Document M (for ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’); 10% of new build homes should meet requirement M4[3] (for ‘wheelchair user dwellings’);
    • Provision of wheelchair user dwellings (Part M4[3]) should be directed towards local need in terms of size, tenure, and demand for wheelchair user adapted homes, determined through early engagement with relevant LBN service areas;
    • Purpose built Build to Rent accommodation must:
      • operate under unified ownership and management within blocks or phases of at least 50 units;
      • be secured in perpetuity for the rental market and for a minimum 15 year term; and
      • offer long term tenancies for private renters for a minimum of three years with a six month break clause in favour of the tenant, with structured and limited in-tenancy rent increases agreed in advance;
    • Specifically in relation to private rented sector products (PRS) offsite contributions to family housing will only be acceptable where onsite or offsite provision is proven to be infeasible and provided that these are proportionate and financially neutral; and
    • Proposals on sites capable of delivering more than 10 units comprising less than 39% family housing, are required to be accompanied by a detailed viability appraisal as per the requirements set out in H2:2.

For more information please see the Local Plan 2018