Policy H2 — Small sites

Policy H2 Small sites A Boroughs should pro-actively support well-designed new homes on small sites (below 0.25 hectares in size) through both planning decisions and plan-making in order to: 1) significantly increase the contribution of small sites to meeting London’s housing needs 2) diversify the sources, locations, type and mix of housing supply 3) support small and medium-sized housebuilders 4) support those wishing to bring forward custom, self-build and community-led housing 5) achieve the minimum targets for small sites set out in Table 4.2 as a component of the overall housing targets set out in Table 4.1. B Boroughs should: 1) recognise in their Development Plans that local character evolves over time and will need to change in appropriate locations to accommodate additional housing on small sites 2) where appropriate, prepare site-specific briefs, masterplans and housing design codes for small sites 3) identify and allocate appropriate small sites for residential development 4) list these small sites on their brownfield registers 5) grant permission in principle on specific sites or prepare local development orders. 4.2.1 For London to deliver more of the housing it needs, small sites (below 0.25 hectares in size) must make a substantially greater contribution to new supply across the city. Therefore, increasing the rate of housing delivery from small sites is a strategic priority. Achieving this objective will require positive and proactive planning by boroughs both in terms of planning decisions and plan-making. 4.2.2 Increasing housing output of this scale can also help to support a number of related housing and planning policy objectives . This includes: reviving the role of small and medium-sized developers in delivering new homes in London diversifying the sources, locations, type and mix of housing supply and the type of sites available in addition to large brownfield sites increasing housing provision in accessible parts of outer London to help address the substantial housing need in these areas and deliver market homes in more affordable price brackets providing opportunities for custom-build housing and community-led housing projects [46] supporting town centre economies as with large sites, providing opportunities to support the use of modern methods of construction. 4.2.3 The small sites minimum targets in Table 4.2 are informed by the 2017 London SHLAA and show the potential capacity for additional housing on sites of less than 0.25 hectares in size. The targets are based on trends in housing completions on sites of this size and the estimated capacity for net additional housing supply from intensification in existing residential areas, taking into account PTAL, proximity to stations and town centres, and heritage constraints. The small sites targets are a component of, and not additional to, the overall housing targets. The relative contribution from large and small sites in each borough may fluctuate across the target period, providing the overall 10 year borough target is met in a way that is consistent with the policies in the Plan. The small sites target can be taken to amount to a reliable source of windfall sites which contributes to anticipated supply and so provides the compelling evidence in this respect required by paragraph 70 of the National Planning Policy Framework of 2019. 4.2.4 Incremental intensification of existing residential areas within PTALs 3-6 or within 800m distance of a station [47] or town centre boundary [48] is expected to play an important role in contributing towards the housing targets for small sites set out in Table 4.2. This can take a number of forms, such as: new build, infill development, residential conversions, redevelopment or extension of existing buildings, including non-residential buildings and residential garages, where this results in net additional housing provision. These developments should generally be supported where they provide well-designed additional housing to meet London’s needs. Table 4.2 - 10 year targets (2019/20 -2028/29) for net housing completions on small sites (below 0.25 hectares in size) Table 4.2 - 10 year targets (2019/20 - 2028/29) for net housing completions on small sites (below 0.25 hectares in size) Table 4.2 shows the ten year housing targets on small sites (under a quarter of a hectare) for each of London's planning authorities. Planning Authority Ten-year housing target Barking & Dagenham 1,990 Barnet 4,340 Bexley 3,050 Brent 4,330 Bromley 3,790 Camden 3,280 City of London 740 Croydon 6,410 Ealing 4,240 Enfield 3,530 Greenwich 3,010 Hackney 6,580 Hammersmith & Fulham 2,590 Haringey 2,600 Harrow 3,750 Havering 3,140 Hillingdon 2,950 Hounslow 2,800 Islington 4,840 Kensington & Chelsea 1,290 Kingston 2,250 Lambeth 4,000 Lewisham 3,790 London Legacy Development Corporation 730 Merton 2,610 Newham 3,800 Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation 60 Redbridge 3,680 Richmond 2,340 Southwark 6,010 Sutton 2,680 Tower Hamlets 5,280 Waltham Forest 3,590 Wandsworth 4,140 Westminster 5,040 Total 119,250 Figure 4.3 - Proximity to town centres and stations Figure 4.3 - Proximity to town centres and stations 4.2.5 The small sites target represents a small amount of the potential for intensification in existing residential areas, particularly in Outer London, therefore, they should be treated as minimums. To proactively increase housing provision on small sites through incremental development, Boroughs are encouraged to prepare area-wide housing design codes , in particular, for the following forms of development: residential conversions, redevelopment, extensions of houses and/or ancillary residential buildings. 4.2.6 The Mayor will set out design principles for housing developments on small sites across London in design guidance , which boroughs should draw on and supplement when preparing housing design codes. Housing design codes can be combined with local development orders, where appropriate. As a London Plan Policy H2 · official source →