Policy information sourced from the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan

Policy 15 Infill and Backland Development

A. Proposals are expected to optimise the potential for housing delivery on all suitable and available brownfield sites in accordance with London Plan Policy H1. This includes:

  1. sites with existing or planned public transport access levels (PTALs) 3-6 or which are located within 800m distance of a tube/rail station or town centre boundary (referred to as Areas for Intensification);
  2. mixed-use redevelopment of car parks and low-density retail parks and supermarkets, provided any net loss of parking is assessed in accordance with Policy 47 ‘Sustainable Travel Choices (Strategic Policy)’ and Policy 48 ‘Vehicular Parking Standards, Cycle Parking, Servicing and Construction Logistics Management’;
  3. housing intensification on other appropriate low-density sites in commercial, leisure and infrastructure uses, subject to the reprovision of the non-residential uses if required in accordance with other Plan policies;
  4. the redevelopment of surplus utilities and public sector owned sites, subject to conformity with other Plan policies;
  5. small sites, in accordance with Policy 16 ‘Small Sites’;
  6. enabling residential on former employment sites only to enable employment-led intensification, as required by policies in the section on ‘Increasing jobs and helping businesses to grow’

B. Policy 28 ‘Local Character and Design Quality (Strategic Policy)’ and Policy 44 ‘Design Process’ require all proposals to follow a character- and design-led approach to site optimisation. All infill and backland development must reflect the character of the surrounding area and protect the amenity and living conditions of neighbours. In considering applications for infill and backland development the following factors should be addressed:

  1. Retain plots of sufficient width for adequate separation between dwellings;
  2. Retain similar spacing between new buildings to any established spacing;
  3. Retain appropriate garden space for adjacent dwellings;
  4. Respect the local context, in accordance with Policy 28 ‘Local Character and Design Quality (Strategic Policy)’;
  5. Enhance the street frontage (where applicable) taking account of local character;
  6. Incorporate or reflect materials and detailing on existing dwellings, in accordance with Policy 28 ‘Local Character and Design Quality (Strategic Policy)’;
  7. Retain or re-provide features important to character, appearance or wildlife, in accordance with Policy 42 ‘Trees, Woodland and Landscape’;
  8. Result in no unacceptable adverse impact on neighbours, including loss of privacy to existing homes or gardens, in accordance with Policy 46 ‘Amenity and Living Conditions ‘;
  9. Provide adequate servicing, recycling and refuse storage as well as cycle parking;
  10. Result in no unacceptable impact on neighbours in terms of visual impact, noise or light from vehicular access or car parking.
  11. Result in no significant loss of garden land, unless in some cases a well-designed backgarden development at an intimate scale with appropriate mitigation such as to improve biodiversity, accords with all the factors above and there is no identified harm to the local area.

For more information please see the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan