Photo: Paul Selby, Islington Council Planning Policy Team
Neighbourhoods are successful when land is well used and optimised – the right uses are in the right place, it is well connected and opportunities are taken to make the best of land assets.
An overarching plan at the beginning of any long-term neighbourhood programme is a good idea – otherwise, developments and improvements are piecemeal and key opportunities can be lost. The precise form of such a ‘plan’ needs to be tailored to local circumstances but can range from a simple vision document to a detailed masterplan. The involvement of the community and other partners is absolutely crucial to such a plan – without this it won’t have local support and won’t be delivered in a meaningful way. Countless visions and spatial development documents remain on the shelf.
In EC1, the Council and the NDC team worked closely on a detailed planning policy document for the area – called an Area Action Plan (AAP). This provides the overall framework for development over the next 25 years, plus detailed ideas for each significant plots of land. For example, it will help keep employment uses in the area and prevent the further proliferation of developer-led student housing. It should play a significant role in managing change in the area.
The new focus of Neighbourhood Planning provides more opportunities for communities to be involved in spatial planning. Some of the lessons from the AAP process in south Islington for neighbourhood planning are the need to clear about the objectives and scope of the plan, training and support for residents to be involved and securing the early co-operation and commitments from landowners, (particularly in the public sector).
