PLANNING CONSULTANTS · ISLINGTON
Planning consultants in Islington
We prepare and coordinate the planning case and specialist reports for sites in Islington covering Angel, Barnsbury, Canonbury, Highbury, Holloway and Archway. This page sets out what London Borough of Islington asks for when you apply, with links to the council's own documents.
THE COUNCIL'S DOCUMENTS
What Islington
judges you against.
Validation list. London Borough of Islington Local Validation Requirements for Planning Applications (2024-04-12). An application missing a required document can be made invalid, which delays the decision.
Development plan. Islington Local Plan: Strategic and Development Management Policies (adopted, 2023); Islington Local Plan: Site Allocations (adopted, 2023); Bunhill and Clerkenwell Area Action Plan (adopted, 2023); North London Waste Plan (adopted).
National policy. The National Planning Policy Framework and, for every London council, the London Plan 2021 sit alongside the local plan.
LOCAL PLANNING POINTS
Things that shape applications in Islington.
Checked against the council's published policy and guidance. Each point links to its source.
- Islington's current Local Plan was adopted on 28 September 2023 and has three parts: Strategic and Development Management Policies, Site Allocations, and the Bunhill and Clerkenwell Area Action Plan. Source
- There are 42 conservation areas. Some are covered by Article 4(2) directions, so minor works such as changing doors and windows or painting brickwork may need planning permission. Source
- Basements should generally be no more than one storey deep, with no more than 3m floor-to-ceiling height, and together with other structures should occupy less than 50% of the original garden (Basement Development SPD, 2016). The SPD predates the 2023 Local Plan, so it should be read alongside the current basement policy. Source
- A selective licensing scheme for privately rented homes covers Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction and Laycock wards from 23 November 2026 to 22 November 2031. Source
- Article 4 direction: Class E to residential: CAZ and CAZ Fringe King's Cross. Converting shops, restaurants, offices and other Class E premises to homes (Class MA) needs planning permission in the Central Activities Zone and the King's Cross CAZ Fringe (as modified by the Secretary of State). Source
- Article 4 direction: Class E to residential: Camden Passage. Converting Class E premises to homes (Class MA) needs planning permission in the Camden Passage Special Policy Area. Source
- Article 4 direction: Class E to residential: Fonthill Road. Converting Class E premises to homes (Class MA) needs planning permission in the Fonthill Road Specialist Shopping Area. Source
REPORTS ISLINGTON ASKS FOR
Islington's validation list, report by report.
Which of these your application needs depends on the project and the site. In Islington, extra reports are triggered most often by a listed building, near a listed building, close neighbours, a conservation area, protected species, flood zones 2 and 3. Enter the address in our application checker to see the list for your site.
| Report | Level | When it is needed | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Method Statement (basement) | Required | Basement proposals must include a structural method statement signed by a chartered civil or structural engineer, following the Basement Development SPD.Applies to: basements | Islington Local Plan DH4; Basement Development SPD |
| Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment | Required | Major and small developments must show at least a 10% biodiversity gain with metric and baseline habitat plan, or explain which exemption applies.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Islington Local Plan G4; Environment Act 2021 |
| Energy Strategy (part of Sustainable Design and Construction Statement) | Required | An energy strategy is required for major schemes, minor schemes creating homes and extensions of 100 sqm or more; minor new-build homes also need a carbon offset undertaking.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, house extensions, basements | Islington Local Plan S2-S4; London Plan SI2 |
| Sustainable Design and Construction Statement | Required | Required for major schemes, minor schemes creating homes and extensions of 100 sqm or more; residential refurbishments over 500 sqm or five-plus dwellings also need a BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment pre-assessment.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, house extensions, basements | Islington Local Plan S1-S10; London Plan SI1-SI5 |
| Urban Greening Factor Assessment | Required | Major schemes must calculate their urban greening factor and show how the target is met.Applies to: major schemes | Islington Local Plan G1; London Plan G5 |
| Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessment | Required | All major and GLA-referable schemes must submit a whole life-cycle carbon assessment following GLA guidance.Applies to: major schemes | Islington Local Plan S4; London Plan SI2 |
| Affordable Housing Statement | Where relevant | Schemes of 10+ homes and large HMOs need an affordable housing statement; schemes under 10 homes need a small-sites contribution statement.Applies to: 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, changes of use | Islington Local Plan H3; London Plan H4-H6; Affordable Housing Small Sites SPD |
| Air Quality Statement / Air Quality Assessment | Where relevant | Schemes in the sustainability statement scope need an air quality statement; minor new-builds failing air quality neutral criteria need a full assessment, and schemes over 200 homes or 10,000 sqm must show air quality positive.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, house extensions, basements | Islington Local Plan S1-S10; London Plan SI1 |
| Tree Survey / Arboricultural Impact Assessment / Arboricultural Method Statement | Where relevant | Needed where trees on or next to the site, including street trees, could be affected; a method statement and tree protection plan are required for works inside root protection areas.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan G4; London Plan G7 |
| Archaeological Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for sites in an Archaeological Priority Area where remains could be affected, including any excavation or piling there, and for proposals near scheduled monuments; field evaluation may also be requested.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan DH2 |
| Business Floorspace Statement | Where relevant | Needed for any net loss of business floorspace, with marketing and vacancy evidence where losses are in protected locations.Applies to: changes of use, commercial, major schemes | Islington Local Plan B1-B3 |
| Circular Economy Statement (Adaptive Design / Circular Economy) | Where relevant | All sustainability statements include an adaptive design strategy, and major schemes must also submit a GLA-format Circular Economy Statement.Applies to: major schemes | London Plan SI7 |
| Construction Management Plan | Where relevant | Required for major schemes, for any scheme with basement development, and for other sites likely to cause disruption; it should cover air quality, noise, vibration, waste, contamination and ecology.Applies to: major schemes, basements | Islington Local Plan DH4, S1, S7, S10, T5; London Plan T7 |
| Contaminated Land Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for proposals on land that may be contaminated, with a risk assessment covering site history, inspection and setting.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan S9; London Plan SD1, E7 |
| Daylight / Sunlight Assessment | Where relevant | Required for all new major residential schemes and for any proposal that could reduce light to neighbouring homes or gardens, prepared to BRE (2021) guidance.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan PLAN1, H4 |
| Design and Access Statement | Where relevant | Required for major schemes, for listed building consent, and in conservation areas for one or more new homes or 100 sqm or more of floorspace; it includes an inclusive design statement and, for residential, a schedule of accommodation.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Islington Local Plan PLAN1, DH1, DH3; London Plan D3, D5-D9 |
| Biodiversity / Ecological Survey | Where relevant | Needed where development, including refurbishment, could affect protected or priority species or habitats, or is in or near a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan G4; London Plan G6 |
| Viability Assessment | Where relevant | Only accepted where the council has agreed in advance an exceptional case for reduced on-site affordable housing or affordable workspace, in editable format with agreement to fund the council's review.Applies to: 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial | Islington Local Plan H3, B4; Development Viability SPD |
| Fire Statement | Where relevant | Major schemes need an independent fire strategy by a qualified third party; minor schemes need one where they create two or more dwellings or a building over 18 m or 7 storeys.Applies to: 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial | London Plan D12 |
| Flood Risk Assessment (site-specific) | Where relevant | Islington is almost entirely Flood Zone 1, so a site-specific FRA is needed for sites of 1 ha or more, sites in a Local Flood Risk Zone or otherwise at risk of surface water/other flooding, and changes to a more vulnerable use; the 2024 list cross-refers to this as requirement 11.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan 2023 S8 and S9 (2024 list cross-reference); 2017 list cites NPPF, London Plan 5.12, DM6.6, Environmental Design SPD |
| Basement Flood Risk Assessment | Where relevant | Basement schemes in a Local Flood Risk Zone or at risk from other flood sources need an FRA plus drainage and safe access details.Applies to: basements | DM6.6; Islington Basement Development SPD (as cited in the 2017 list); Local Plan 2023 S8 |
| Health Impact Assessment | Where relevant | All major schemes, and minor schemes that may affect health, must submit at least a screening-level health impact assessment.Applies to: major schemes, 2 to 9 homes, commercial, changes of use | Islington Local Plan SC3 |
| Structural Survey / Statement of Justification / Schedule of Works (listed buildings) | Where relevant | For listed buildings, a structural survey is needed where substantial demolition or excavation near listed buildings is proposed, plus a justification for structural works and a schedule of works where fabric is removed.Applies to: all applications | London Plan HC1; NPPF |
| Heritage Statement | Where relevant | Required for listed building consent and any application affecting a heritage asset or its setting, setting out significance, impact and justification, with verified views where needed.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan DH2, DH3; London Plan HC1, HC2 |
| Landscape Design Strategy | Where relevant | Needed for new buildings, redevelopment and large extensions of 100 sqm or more, covering play space, any loss of open space and treatment of outdoor areas.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, house extensions, basements | Islington Local Plan G1, G2, G4, G5, SC2; London Plan G1, G5-G7, S4 |
| Large-scale HMO Management Plan | Where relevant | Required for HMOs housing more than six unrelated people, setting out management and amenity protection.Applies to: changes of use, major schemes | Islington Local Plan H10 |
| Lighting Assessment | Where relevant | Needed where external or flood lighting is proposed for publicly accessible development or near homes, listed buildings, conservation areas or nature conservation sites.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan G4; London Plan D8, S5 |
| Noise Impact Assessment / Acoustic Design Statement / Vibration Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for noise-sensitive uses near noise sources, noisy uses near existing buildings, and any plant, flues, air conditioning or extraction, prepared by a qualified acoustician.Applies to: all applications | Islington Local Plan DH5; London Plan D14 |
| Planning Statement | Where relevant | Minor full applications need a statement covering policy justification and neighbour consultation; major schemes over 100 pages of material need a summary of up to 20 pages.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Islington Local Plan; Statement of Community Involvement (2017) |
| Integrated Water Management and Sustainable Drainage Strategy | Where relevant | Schemes in the sustainability statement scope must address drainage, water efficiency and water quality, referring to a site-specific flood risk assessment where needed; major schemes add the surface water drainage pro-forma.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, house extensions, basements | Islington Local Plan S9; London Plan SI5, SI13 |
| Transport Assessment and Travel Plan (with PERS audit) | Where relevant | Needed above use-based thresholds such as 1,000 sqm retail, 750 sqm general Class E, 2,500 sqm office or industrial, or 50 hotel beds; all major schemes need a pedestrian environment (PERS) audit.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Islington Local Plan T1-T3; London Plan T4 |
| Ventilation / Extraction Statement | Where relevant | Needed for restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, hot food takeaways, industrial uses and other schemes with significant ventilation or extraction plant.Applies to: changes of use, commercial, major schemes | Islington Local Plan S6 |
OUR SERVICES IN ISLINGTON
Every report, one coordinated team.
All 54 services are available for sites in Islington. Prices are starting estimates; we confirm the fee in writing before appointment.
Planning & strategy
Heritage & townscape
Water & ground
Environment & amenity
Ecology & landscape
Energy & sustainability
Transport & viability
Structure, basements & ground
- Structural feasibility notes
- Structural planning statements
- Basement impact assessments
- Basement construction method statements
- Ground movement assessments
- Groundwater & hydrology screening
- Geotechnical desk studies
- Ground investigation reports
- Slope stability assessments
- Retaining wall assessments
- Demolition & construction method statements
- Construction management plans
- Structural reuse & retrofit appraisals
- Structural condition discharge statements
Neighbouring councils
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Planning in Islington: FAQs
Still have a question?
Tell us about the site and we will confirm what Islington will need and what it should cost.
Make an enquiryWhich reports does Islington require for a house extension?
Islington's validation list requires Energy Strategy (part of Sustainable Design and Construction Statement), Sustainable Design and Construction Statement for householder applications, before any site constraints are taken into account. Constraints such as a conservation area, flood zone or protected trees add further reports. Our application checker lists them for your address.
How up to date is Islington's validation list?
The list we use is "London Borough of Islington Local Validation Requirements for Planning Applications", dated 2024-04-12. Councils revise their lists, so we confirm the current version before you commission reports.
Do you cover every part of Islington?
Yes. We work across the whole of Islington, including the postcode districts EC1A, EC1M, EC1P, EC1R, EC1V, EC1Y, EC2A, EC2M, EC2P, EC3P, EC4P, N1, N1P, N4, N5, N7, N19, W1A, WC1A, WC1X and areas such as Angel, Barnsbury, Canonbury, Highbury, Holloway and Archway.
Where are you based?
Our office is at Unit D New Wave House, 4 Humber Road, London NW2 6DW, and we work on sites across all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and OPDC.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Planning an application in Islington?
Tell us about the site and what you want to build. We will tell you which reports Islington is likely to need and what they should cost.
Call 020 8004 4464 or email info@greencodeconsultants.com.