Housing targets, changes to the planning system and Community Infrastructure Levy and a reduction in new affordable housing were all addressed in a talk given to Islington Society members by Sarah Scannell, Director of Planning and Development at Islington Council at the Town Hall.
Arriving last October from Birmingham, the UK’s largest local planning authority with 10,000 planning applications a year, she had previously worked in planning at the Greater London Authority (GLA), Kensington and Chelsea, and Hounslow and is pleased to be back in London.
She sees herself as a placemaker, committed to finding solutions, doing the right thing and walking the streets of the borough to see sites for herself.
She was keen her return to London was to Islington where her parents first arrived from Dublin and sees herself as the custodian of planning in the borough. Sitting within community wealth building in the Council, the knowledgeable and professional planning team has a role in retaining heritage and also adding community value. Sarah is committed to deriving as much social value and community benefit from development as possible, eg securing apprenticeships for Islington residents and affordable workspace for small businesses.
Commenting on the relatively new Local Plan, adopted 2023, Sarah said it was bold and ambitious, especially for social housing, committed to making the most of every site whilst considering the impacts of height, scale and massing. Updates have been issued including guidance for the Poets Road Conservation Area, the Retrofit Handbook, and the Gypsy and Traveller Needs Consultation – a “difficult piece of work” which will be re-consulted on before the summer and then sent to the Inspector by the end of the year.
The GLA-set housing target for Islington has been reduced to 775 new homes a year (from 1,264) which will still be a challenge given the shortage of land and the high number of housing units delivered against targets since the late 2000s. Sarah noted there will never be enough new homes built for all on the Council’s waiting list. An additional requirement is a target of 400,000 square metres of business floorspace – although the Moorfields Hospital site originally slated to become largely offices is now being reviewed as more people work from home. Sarah aimed to reassure the audience that she and the team are aware of the “need to balance development pressures with competing demands on a limited amount of land and continue to deliver on priorities within a complicated heritage context”.
Upcoming changes to the planning system by the Government will have a widespread impact:
- proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will reduce councils’ ability to be locally specific, eg no more locally distinctive policies but instead a focus on design codes
- new Local Plans will need to be produced within 30 months
- removing the ability for council planning committees to decide some applications
- less local input into planning decisions
- the whole planning process to become digital
The new policies recently announced by the Mayor of London and the Government include:
- reduction in the level of affordable housing required for fast-track developments to only 20%, although there may be grants available for key worker housing to be built – whereas Islington’s Local Plan requires 50% of new homes on a development to be affordable
- relaxation of some housing quality requirements eg dual aspect
- increased call-in powers for the GLA
- Community Infrastructure Levy relief – reducing the amount paid by developers to support local infrastructure; although this needs secondary legislation before it can be implemented. The Council estimates this would reduce its income by around £5 million a year.
A large part of Sarah’s job is liaising with the GLA around the new policies and the impact on Islington.
As there are no more large sites in Islington that can be developed for housing there will be a new focus on identifying suitable small sites. Where the Council owns land (possibly where schools have closed) it may work with partners to deliver social housing, although members of the audience defended green space on estates stating this should not be built on.
The talk was followed by a wide range of questions from the audience. Sarah is keen to hear from members of the Society on the new Local Plan – preparations will begin in 2028 – to better understand residents’ views and consider alternatives. In addition, the first draft of the new proposed London Plan is due to be published this month for consultation which members can comment on.
Islington Facts
Less than 6 square miles or 15 square kilometres
Population 218,000 (in 2023)
Population 157,512 (in 1981)
Second most densely populated borough in England and Wales: 2.7 times the London average and 34 times the England average
Poverty and wealthy areas side by side
Heritage – 60% of the borough is in Conservation Areas; over 4,000 Listed Buildings