MINOR ALTERATIONS TO THE LONDON PLAN

HOUSING STANDARDSJennifer Peters- Strategic Planning Manager

CONTEXT

London Plan March 2015 (FALP) para 0.16F

“…as a result of changes proposed in the Government’s Housing Standards Review, the Mayor will bring forward additional alterations to the London Plan in early 2015 to reflect Government housing standards.”

MINOR ALTERATIONS TO THE LONDON PLANHOUSING STANDARDS

The housing standards review was launched in October 2012.

The rationale:•Reduce the burden on new housing developments by simplifying and rationalising the large number of standards that local authorities apply to new homes; and

»Ensure that new homes are of high quality, accessible and sustainable.

HOUSING STANDARDS REVIEW BACKGROUND

• Following consultation on the technical standards - on 25th of March 2015 Government issued;

• A ministerial statement- new national approach to the setting of standards,

• Associated Approved Documents (water and access), and

• Nationally Described Space Standards.

Together these are known as the new national technical standards.

BACKGROUND CONT.

The London Plan has included space standards since 2011 and accessibility standards since 2004.

The Mayor worked closely with Government to ensure that, as far as possible, national standards reflected the needs of Londoners.

BACKGROUND CONT.

• The Government’s ‘optional’ standards (access, water and the nationally described space standards) need to be adopted through planning policy to be applied.

• The London Plan is part of borough’s development plan.

• If they are not adopted – no space standards and only basic building regulations will apply.

- However, transition arrangements are in place where standards are already in adopted Plans

IMPLEMENTATION

From October 2015 existing standards relating to access, space and water have to be interpreted by reference to the nearest equivalent national standards.

To aid implementation the Mayor has published a Housing Standards Policy Transition Statement which sets out how existing London housing standards should be applied from October 2015 until such time that the Government’s housing standards are adopted.

TRANSITION

• This helps applicants know what standards they need to meet in applications submitted now where they are unlikely to be decided before October.

• Reserved matters applications?

TRANSITION - CONT

The NPPG states;•authorities will need to gather evidence to determine whether there is a need for additional standards in their area; and

•authorities should consider the impact of using the standards as part of their local plan viability assessment.

Evidence on need and viability has been published alongside the alteration.

NEED AND VIABILITY

Need study “demonstrates a clear need for the inclusion of housing standards within the London Plan. They are a necessary mechanism to ensure that housing is sustainable and of high quality whilst offering the space and flexibility required to accommodate the demands of a rapidly growing and aging population in a high density city facing distinct climate challenges”

Viability -“overall outcomes of the viability testing indicate that the introduction of the new housing standards do not represent a significant determinant in the viability and delivery of housing development in london”.

EVIDENCE

POLICY 3.5 QUALITY AND DESIGN OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

Policy 3.5 is updated to reference the new optional building regulations for access and water efficiency and the nationally described space standards.

Difference to current London Plan;

•GIAs for some houses smaller.

•Ceiling height minimum lower.

MALP adopts the nationally described space standards but ‘strongly encourages’ a minimum ceiling height of 2.5m for at least 75% of the dwelling.

NATIONALLY DESCRIBED SPACE STANDARDS

Number of bedrooms

Number of bed spaces

Minimum GIA (m2) Built-in storage (m2)

1 storey dwellings

2 storey dwellings

3 storey dwellings

1b 1p 39 (37)* 1.02p 50 58 1.5

2b 3p 61 70 2.04p 70 79

3b 4p 74 84 90 2.55p 86 93 996p 95 102 108

4b 5p 90 97 103 3.06p 99 106 1127p 108 115 1218p 117 124 130

5b 6p 103 110 116 3.57p 112 119 1258p 121 128 134

6b 7p 116 123 129 4.08p 125 132 138

Approved Document Part M – Domestic

Three Categories-•M4 (1)-Category 1: Visitable dwellings [basic]•M4 (2) -Category 2: Accessible and adaptable dwellings [optional]•M4 (3)-Category 3: Wheelchair user dwellings [optional]

- Wheelchair accessible

- Wheelchair adaptable

-ONLY ONE M4 regulation can apply to a dwelling.

ACCESS – ‘OPTIONAL’ STANDARDS

Access- updated to reflect optional building regs- but essentially keeping our current approach.•90% of new housing required to meet Building regulation M4 (2) ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’ •10% of new homes required to meet Building regulation requirement M4 (3) ‘wheelchair user dwellings’. -M4(2) requires step free access

- Viability impact

- Impact on service charges

POLICY 3.8 CHOICE

Current London Plan approach considered to be inline with the national approach and will help ensure continued investment in low carbon energy technologies in London.

Figures recalibrated to reflect 2013 Building Regulations.  

POLICY 5.2 MINIMISING CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION

Introduces stepping stone target to zero carbon for non-residential development.

Evidence -Feasibility and viability study.

Introduces the Mayor’s preferred approach to ‘allowable solutions’ – from 2016.

These changes are not related to the housing standards review.

POLICY 5.2 CONT.

• Implication of the Government’s removal of the 2016 zero carbon homes target?

FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS

Policy 5.3 Sustainable Design and Construction •Policy and supporting paragraphs updated to remove reference to Code for Sustainable Homes.

Policy 5.15 Water use and Supplies•Policy updated by footnote to align the water consumption with the optional Building Regulations.

OTHER CHANGES

Integrated impact assessment (IIA)

•Overall the proposed Minor Alterations will have a positive effect especially on social and environmental objectives

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

• Scheduled for October• Range of consultation responses • Draft Matters on our website – broad range of

questions – including;• Paragraph 3.32A refers to the standards being sound ‘in

terms of need and viability’. Is the evidence in the documents entitled ‘Viability Assessment’ and ‘Evidence of Need’ sufficiently robust? And

• f. Are paragraph 3.36 and Table 3.3 sufficiently aspirational?

EIP

HOUSING STANDARDS MINOR ALTERATIONS

questions

MINOR ALTERATIONS TO THE LONDON PLANHOUSING STANDARDS