New London Plan guidance published
The four most recently adopted LPG concern design and characterisation and comprise:
- Characterisation and Growth Strategy LPG
- Small Site Design Codes LPG
- Optimising Site Capacity: A Design-led Approach LPG
- Housing Design Standard LPG
These LPG largely cover interpretation of London Plan policies on design and housing.
The Optimising Site Capacity: A Design-led Approach LPG provides guidance to and expands upon London Plan Policy D3 which shares the same name. This LPG sets out how a design-led approach should be used to optimise a site’s capacity rather than maximising density. Optimising capacity is based on the most appropriate form of development at a site having regard to the existing character and distinctiveness of the surrounding context and balancing a number of factors including increasing housing supply, access to transport and improving quality of life for Londoners. This LPG is to be applied to existing site allocations being brough forward into new or revised development plans and to suitable and available Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) sites. The purpose is to provide clarity over the future design and residential capacity of a site. Where design parameters have been set for a site by a planning authority, applicants should follow the guidance in the LPG to determine a more detailed design for the site. Where design parameters have not been set, applicants should undertake the process themselves at preliminary design stages to determine the site’s optimum design response. The LPG is accompanied by an Indicative Site Capacity Toolkit that comprises an Excel spreadsheet capacity calculator and 3D residential building types in SketchUp files.
To support London Plan Policy D6 (Housing quality and standards) and other relevant policies, the Housing Design Standards LPG sets requirements for new build housing design, change of use and conversions. The LPG applies to all Use Class C3 housing and across all tenures including build to rent and specialist older person housing. It does not apply to specialist forms of housing like shared living, temporary accommodation and student accommodation. The LPG applies standards that are expected to be met as well as ‘best practice’ standards that are strongly encouraged to be met. The LPG is prescriptive and is broken down to when it is expected to be applied to all types of housing, new-build, change of use and conversions. Significantly, all types of housing are expected to be dual aspect unless exceptional circumstances make it impractical or undesirable. Guidance is provided to demonstrate what dwelling arrangement will be considered dual aspect. Further, whilst the London Plan requires all homes to meet the nationally described space standards (NDSS), this LPG encourages all new homes to exceed these standards and provides a new ‘best practice’ space standard to improved residential quality and accommodate changes to working from home.
The Characterisation and Growth Strategy LPG has been prepared as guidance to London planning authorities and neighbourhood planning groups undertaking a borough or neighbourhood-wide character assessment to inform plan making documents on area-based placemaking strategies. This LPG is to assist with assessing the capacity for change and grown in an area, including identifying different character types and areas and where tall buildings may be appropriate.
The London Plan requires boroughs to prepare design codes for small sites where appropriate. The Small Site Design Codes LPG provides guidance to planning authorities and neighbourhood planning groups who are preparing area-wide housing design codes for small housing sites of 0.25 hectares or less. In addition, developers of small sites should refer to the guidance set out in this LPG as well as any adopted area-specific design code. The aim of design codes is to provide clarity on what is likely to be acceptable, and what may cause identifiable harms, for different contexts of development at small sites.
These four newly adopted LPG are prescriptive, detailed in nature and lengthy to digest. Whilst planners, applicants and architects review, understand and apply these LPG going forward, it will provide the industry with greater knowledge of what new development is acceptable in planning terms.
It will be interesting to see how this guidance can support increased housing supply in London whilst balancing a new thrust towards optimising (not maximising) a site’s capacity along with providing dual-aspect dwellings and where possible increasing the size of units beyond the NDSS levels.