Agenda item

Sakiba Gurda, Head of Planning, Policy and Development Viability Services provided a presentation to the Committee on Islington’s Local Plan and summarised key points to the Committee.

The following points were noted in the discussion:

• The Committee noted that the Local Plan provided statutory framework for making decisions on planning applications.
• One of the key priorities for Genuinely Affordable Housing was that there was a strategic target for 50% of additional housing to be affordable and to have 10 or more homes required to deliver affordable housing on site.
• In terms of policies for specialist accommodation, it consisted of a Planning Policy on meeting the needs of vulnerable older people and another Planning Policy on Supported Housing (working age adults).
• In regard to Planning Policy on meeting the needs of vulnerable older people, the need for accommodation for older people would be met primarily through the delivery of conventional residential accommodation designed to be adaptable to changing needs over time. Different levels of care may be delivered in conventional accommodation which meant there was likely to be a lesser need for certain specialist forms of older persons housing, in particular market extra care housing. In addition, it was also noted that there was some local need for affordable one and two-bed extra-care units. This specific type of specialist older persons accommodation may be acceptable on certain schemes, but only where the Council’s Adult Social Care service considered that the proposed accommodation would meet a defined need.
• The Committee was informed that specialist older people’s residential accommodation, such as care homes and extra care facilities, would only be suitable where there was evidence of local unmet need for specialist older people accommodation or it would contribute to meeting the London Plan benchmark figure of 900 dwellings over the plan period. It was highlighted that this was an aspirational figure where the aim was to have 60 homes per year for each London Local Authority over the 15 years.
• The Committee followed up and queried that due to the shortage of land available in the borough, would there be a possibility to decrease the target of 60 homes for Islington as a borough, in response to this follow up question, Officers advised that the Council’s obligation was to only ensure that the overall housing target for the borough was met, which was 775 homes per year. It was noted that this target was relatively lower than targets set for other London Local Authorities. Officers added that the Mayor of London had started the process for the new London Plan and all the figures were being reviewed. The review would also consider land availability for housing. This would then form the new targets for each London Borough.
• In regard to Planning Policy on Supported Housing for other vulnerable adults, it was noted that the Council would support the provision of new supported housing where it would meet an identified need. Additionally, it should also be suitable for the intended occupiers in terms of the standard of facilities and the level of independence, and provided the necessary level of supervision, management and care/support.
• The Committee noted that the design and accessibility requirements would need to be considered when delivering high quality housing. The Local Plan also sets out detailed requirements on residential design, minimum space standards and accessibility. It was also noted that inclusive design principles were also embedded in the Local Plan, dealing not just with individual budlings, but the wider environment as well. An example provided was that all housing must be built to be accessible and adaptable to meet changing occupier circumstances over the lifetime of the development and must provide 90% of dwellings to Category M4(2) ‘Accessible and Adaptable’ standard; and the remaining 10% of dwellings to ‘Wheelchair Adaptable Category M4(3)(2)(a)’ standard.
• In terms of what had been secured in the recent years, the Committee heard that the former Holloway Prison scheme included 60 social rent extra care units plus communal and staff space. The council had 100% nomination rights for these units for the lifetime of the development. Another scheme was 250 City Road (up to 995 residential units). There were 10 x 1 bed units for people with moderate learning disabilities and in need of care, and 2 x studio units for on-site carers.
• The Committee noted that any supported accommodation sought by Adult Social Care would come out of the same affordable housing pot as conventional dwellings.
• A member of the Committee queried about new additional units at Mildmays Extra Care Scheme and informed the officers that Mildmays had found the process in having these additional blocks acquired very complicated. The members also asked if there was anything that could be done to make the process easier for Mildmays. In response, Officers acknowledged that smaller organisations may not be receiving professional support. Officers confirmed that Mildmays had made a planning application for the additional units at the Mildmays Scheme and the process was underway.
• Officers further added that in relation to 73 Mildmay Street, this was a conversion of decommissioned commercial kitchen area and smaller day lounges to older persons supported housing comprising of 3 one-bed self-contained flats at ground, first and second floor levels (with access to communal lounge area, premises kitchen and offices).
• To follow up, the member informed the Officers that Mildmays were still struggling to push the new flats through and had hoped to open the new units for letting by April 2025, which would not be likely now. Officers confirmed that this matter would be looked into to ensure that advice was provided and to find out if there were any obstacles in the process.
• Officers also mentioned that in relation to the Day Care Centre, 22 Mildmay Park, this was a conversion of older persons hospital respite facilities comprising of 12 studio rooms to older persons supported housing comprising of 8 one-bed self-contained flats for long term use at first and second floor levels (with access to communal lounge area, premises kitchen and offices). No external works were proposed within this application, the works were purely focused on internal modifications.
• In response to a question on intergenerational living and any barriers in the Local Plan for providing this specific type of care, it was advised that the Council was keen to look into intergenerational housing. The Holloway Road scheme was similar to intergenerational housing as it would accommodate for working age adults to older adults. Officers also confirmed that in terms of policies, there were no barriers to exploring this type of model of housing.
• The Committee was advised that one of the main challenges and the cause of limited opportunities for large-scale residential developments in the borough was due to shortage of land available in the borough.
• A member of the Committee queried about possible time limits if a resident needed accessibility adaptation made to their council home. In response to this question, it was noted that the Grants Team in CSSR managed the disabled facilities grant for major adaptations of home occupied by owner’s occupiers, private renters and housing association tenants. Residents accessed the service via Adult Social Care Occupational Therapy who would assess the client’s needs and referring appropriate cases to the Grants Team to follow through until adaptations completed and grant paid. Minor adaptations, such as the provision of handrails were manged by Adult Social Care.
• The Committee queried about the lack of sheltered accommodation available in the borough. The Chair highlighted that funding for these sheltered accommodation had been withdrawn; however, the borough had these purpose-built buildings which were now managed by the Housing Associations. Cutbush House was one of the examples provided. The Chair asked whether the service could work alongside the Housing Associations to explore ways in how this type of accommodation could be allocated for older people. In response to this query, officers advised that policies around this would be based on the need. It was stated that If there was a need for a particular type of accommodation, Adult Social Care would need to demonstrate the need and negotiations could be made to meet the demand. If the demand was for a particular group of occupiers, then all their needs would be looked and then plans would be designed according to the needs.

RESOLVED:

That the report to be noted.