You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
London borough plans crackdown on skyscrapers under new guidance
A London borough is cracking down on the “spread of skyscrapers” under new guidance it hopes will encourage the development of more affordable and sustainable buildings.
Today, Ealing Council has issued new guidance to help stop the spread of what it described as speculative developments featuring tall buildings.
The council’s local plan defines tall buildings as “those that are substantially taller than their neighbours and/or which significantly change the skyline”.
In a statement, the council said the borough has seen a larger number of tall buildings being proposed by private developers outside of designated areas for growth over the past few years.
If deemed appropriate, Ealing Council said tall buildings must achieve an “exemplar standard of design” alongside other considerations, such as site location and the surrounding built context.
READ MORE
Alongside the statement on tall buildings, the council set out new local planning policy guidance that sets out the character of each of Ealing’s seven towns.
The guidance introduces a new housing design guide to encourage good-quality and sustainable buildings and aims to put the context and identity of Ealing at the heart of decision-making.
Under this new adopted guidance, planners and councillors involved in deciding planning applications will be expected to follow it.
The Ealing Character Study and Housing Design Guide contains “generic design principles” that will be applied to the consideration of tall buildings by the council, including the visual impact on views, the integration with neighbourhoods and the effects on the microclimate.
The borough currently has an 11,000-strong housing waiting list, and the council said it is facing the dual challenge of meeting the affordable housing crisis, while meeting the government’s target of around 3,000 new homes built each year under the Housing Delivery Test.
Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, said: “We do not want to see the spread of skyscrapers in Ealing. London has an affordable homes crisis and a climate emergency, and we will not solve either with ever more luxury apartments in the sky.
“With 11,000 families on our housing waiting list, and with all of us craving a better quality of life in the wake of COVID-19, our focus continues to be on providing homes that families can truly afford in sustainable communities they can enjoy.”
The council said it has recently started the process of engaging residents on the future of the seven towns in Ealing, as part of its Shaping Ealing consultation, a process that will inform its refreshed local plan.
Broadway Living, the council’s wholly owned council housebuilding company, has also developed its own design guide for new homes, which will be launched later in the spring.
Sign up for our Council Focus newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
