Transcript LSE Presentation - a view from a London Borough

Planning in London - A view from a
borough
LSE - 25 January 2016
Sakiba Gurda
Planning Policy Manager
LB Islington
About Islington
• Small borough – less than 6 square miles of land
• Population: 2014 estimate - 221,000
• The most densely populated in E&W
(2.7 times London average, 34 times England
average)
• Borough of extremes – polarisation
• 14th most deprived in England (out of 354)
• 2nd highest rate of child poverty
• Known for its historic heritage, cultural attractions –
theatres, pubs…. and Arsenal FC
Historic built environment
- 40 Conservation areas
- 4,500 statutorily Listed Buildings
- Locally listed buildings
Planning: Big picture – who does what
Government and Parliament
Mayor of London/GLA
(since 2000)
London Boroughs
- National planning policy and legislation
- Spatial strategy for London, strong
influence over boroughs’ Local Plans,
“call in” powers on strategic planning
applications, control over funding for
affordable housing in London.
- All local planning and housing functions delivery
What does a Local Planning Authority do?
• Preparation and implementation of a Local Plans
and a range of other planning guidance
Islington has a Local Plan in place (made up of four
elements, will start partial review shortly)
• Processing planning applications
- (around 2,500 cases a year, around 40 - 50 major
applications, and many pre-application cases)
- Emphasis on speed : 8 and 13 week deadlines, but
frequently use PPAs
• Enforcement
Taking action against breaches of planning control –
discretionary powers
• Historic buildings - various initiatives
Non-statutory work
National Panning Policy Framework (March 2012)
- Presumption in favour of sustainable development
- Meeting objectively assessed needs for housing and
other types of development
National Planning
Policy Framework
Islington’s
Development
Plan
The London
Plan
Islington Core
Strategy
Development
Management
Policies
Site
Allocations
Opportunity
Area Planning
Framework(s)
Finsbury Local Plan
(Area Action Plan for
Bunhill and Clerkenwell)
Local Plan documents
Core Strategy – Adopted Feb 2011
•Development Management Policies
•Site Allocations
•Finsbury Local Plan
Adopted June 2013
What does a Local Plan deal with - targets/requirements /generic
policy
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Delivering new housing – housing targets
Maximising provision of affordable housing
Planning for future employment growth
Tackling inequality
Protection of historic built environment
Sustainability/tackling climate change
Open space, sport and recreation
Social infrastructure
………..
…..
Islington's recent delivery:
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Housing – high targets (latest 1,264 pa) and remarkable delivery over
last 10 + years
•
Affordable housing: social housing/genuinely aff. housing the priority
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High jobs growth, but loss of commercial floorspace
•
Sustainability – energy efficiency, carbon reduction, green roofs, car
free housing etc
Pro-growth but growth needs to address key local
priorities
Housing delivery in more detail
•
One of the highest delivery rates in London and the country, consistently
exceeding target
•
Between 2008/9 and 2014/15 delivered just under 13,000 housing units in
total, continually exceeding the borough housing targets by a significant
margin
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Over the next five years between 2015/16 – 2019/20, it is projected that 8,852
units will be delivered. 140% of the London Plan overall housing target (1,264
per year, aggregated at 6,320)
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This makes up a total of close to 22,000 residential units over 12 years, which
is truly remarkable given that Islington covers an area of less than 6 square
miles and is the most densely occupied local authority in the country (2011
Census)
•
Affordable housing – strong delivery in recent years (31-42% out of total
delivery, when looking at relevant schemes only – 45 -55%)
Islington's recent delivery - jobs:
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Jobs growth - almost 30,000 jobs from 2005 – 2015
Loss of employment land/floorspace but growth in jobs – (but
unsustainable in the future )
•
One of the most competitive business locations in the country - 7th on
UK competiveness index (9 out of 10 are Inner London localities)
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Importance of micro, small and medium enterprises
•
Need for affordable workspace
•
Need to plan to accommodate future job growth – over 50,000 to 2036,
(30,000 office based) -> large amount of additional commercial
floorspace, particularly offices, needed over the next 15+ years
Figure 4.12 Net change, B1, by ward, 2005-2015
Figure 4.15 Net change, B1, pipeline, by ward
Figure 4.13 Net change, B2, by ward, 2005-2015
Figure 4.16 Net change, B2, pipeline, by ward
Figure 4.14 Net change, B8, by ward, 2005-2015
Figure 4.17 Net change, B8, pipeline, by ward
Pressures/relationships/dynamics
G’ment
The Mayor
Borough
Other
agencies
Developers
Landowners
Other
Relationships: Government v Boroughs
National Planning Policy Framework, Primary Legislation, Secondary
Legislation
How does this work in practice these days?
Story 1: Office to residential permitted development Court Challenge/s
The Central Activities Zone (CAZ)
Figure 4.15 Net change, B1, pipeline, by ward
Relationships: Mayor v Boroughs
Mayor has extensive powers, proposed to be expended further
How does this work in practice?
BOROUGH LOCAL PLANS – General conformity
Story 2: “Affordable Rent”
PLANNING APPLICATIONS – “call in” powers
Story 3: Mount Pleasant
Relationships: LPA and Developers
Negotiations/pre-apps  applications 
 appeals  … on rare occasion the Courts
How does this work in practice?
Story 4: Tall Buildings Policy
Relationships: LPA and Local Residents
Engaged, articulate communities
• Consultation on Local Plans and other planning
guidance
• Consultation on applications
Objections/ petitions/ residents speaking at
committees
Ongoing engagement via local Councillors
Letters, petitions, questions to Council, letters to press
Key – development needs to address local priorities
Radical planning reform underway –
unprecedented
Deregulation
Centralisation of powers/transfer upwards
Who are we planning for?
Pressures/relationships
G’ment
The Mayor
Borough
Other
agencies
Developers
Landowners
Other
www.islington.gov.uk/LDF
Sakiba Gurda
[email protected]