Land Use Policies

5.1The following policies relate to the development and use of land in the designated Neighbourhood Area of North Kingston. They focus on specific planning matters that are of greatest interest to the local community, especially in seeking to respond to the challenges set by the new London Plan and by the emerging Kingston Local Plan.

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5.2 The London Plan encourages neighbourhood forums to bring forward policies in their Neighbourhood Plans “that vary from the detail of the Policies in this Plan where locally-specific circumstances and evidence suggests this would better achieve the objectives of the London Plan and where such an approach can be considered to be in general conformity with the London Plan” (§0.0.21A). However, in almost every case, each policy does accord with the direction set by the Mayor.

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5.3 The 34 policies are grouped into four categories based on their type. Each policy is numbered and titled, and it is shown in bold italics. Where necessary, the area to which it will apply is shown on the Policies Map at the end of this document. After each policy is a Rationale:  some supporting text that explains the purpose of the policy, how it will be applied and, where helpful, how it relates to other development plan policies.

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Design Policies

5.4 North Kingston is an attractive part of suburban London which residents have expressed a desire to see preserved. It has retained the essence of its character over many decades, but there are pressures for change as the area lies on the edge of Kingston Town Centre and the main railway station. The neighbourhood plan aims to strike an appropriate balance to meet the concerns of the community as well as to provide a positive planning policy framework to create opportunities for new development.

 

How Can We Address the London Plan’s Requirements?

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5.5 There has locally been some concern about what the new London Plan means for the area. Its Policy SD1 identifies Opportunity Areas across the capital as the main focus for development growth over the next few years. It includes Kingston as an Opportunity Area for delivering 9,000 new homes and 5,000 jobs by 2041 and expects that it will be based on the Borough’s network of town centres. The policy does not define the Area but requires the Boroughs to do so in their development plans.  

 

5.6 The Kingston Local Plan Early Engagement document of May 2019 suggested a possible Opportunity Area boundary extending well beyond Kingston Town Centre into North Kingston covering most of the Canbury Ward. It set out two options for managing design:

 

• Widespread Growth – “This option would change many of our suburban areas. It also relies on many private homeowners choosing to have their homes redeveloped to provide more homes. This would mean that the Local Plan would need to consider how to develop policies to manage such intensification”

• Concentrated Growth – “Buildings in these locations would be at very high densities and include a mix of uses. People will be able to live in central locations with conveniently placed shops, transport and services. Building at these densities would significantly change the look and feel of these parts of the borough. However, there would be less immediate change in areas with a more residential character compared to the widespread growth scenario.”

 

5.7 Policy D9 of the London Plan sets out a strategy for tall buildings. It requires Boroughs to define what is mean by ‘tall buildings’ and to define what parts of their area are suitable for this type of development. The Neighbourhood Forum has been mindful of an important, late modification to that policy, which now establishes a minimum six storey building height for tall buildings.

 

5.8 In order to bring earlier certainty for applicants and the local community alike, the Neighbourhood Forum has taken the opportunity to use the Neighbourhood Plan to set out a design strategy for the whole area. The strategy comprises seven types of policy as demonstrated overleaf.

 

5.9 Taken together this strategy accommodates the strategic goals of the Opportunity Area, no matter which spatial option is chosen in the new Local Plan.