Policy information sourced from Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan

LP 2 Building Heights

The Council will require new buildings, including extensions and redevelopment of existing buildings, to respect and strengthen the setting of the borough’s valued townscapes and landscapes, through appropriate building heights, by the following means:

  • require buildings to make a positive contribution towards the local character, townscape and skyline, generally reflecting the prevailing building heights within the vicinity; proposals that are taller than the surrounding townscape have to be of high architectural design quality and standards, deliver public realm benefits and have a wholly positive impact on the character and quality of the area;
  • preserve and enhance the borough’s heritage assets, their significance and their setting;
  • respect the local context, and where possible enhance the character of an area, through appropriate:
    • scale
    • height
    • mass
    • urban pattern
    • development grain
    • materials
    • streetscape
    • Roofscape and
    • wider townscape and landscape;
  • take account of climatic effects, including overshadowing, diversion of wind speeds, heat island and glare;
  • refrain from using height to express and create local landmarks; and
  • require full planning applications for any building that exceeds the prevailing building height within the wider context and setting.

For more information please see the Local Plan