Green Planning

Islington aims to be the most environmentally friendly borough in London. A key part of this goal is the creation of environmentally sustainable neighbourhoods and places which offer a high quality of life for those who live and work there. To achieve this, Islington Council seeks to secure the highest standards of sustainability in the design, construction and use of buildings and the wider built environment. A central mechanism for achieving these objectives is the planning system, which has sustainable development as one of its main goals.

The term ‘Green Planning’ is used here to refer to the use of the planning system to deliver high standards of sustainable design. Sustainable design – or producing ‘greener’ buildings – is about minimising the negative environmental impacts of new development and maximising the positive impacts. For example, minimising carbon emissions that contribute to climate change and maximising the creation of new wildlife habitats. Important areas to address in the sustainable design of new buildings include energy efficiency, renewable and low carbon energy, climate change adaptation including sustainable drainage, biodiversity protection/enhancement, water use and sustainable materials. For more information see the ‘Green buildings’ page.

Key planning policy documents that support sustainable design in Islington include national planning policy statements, the London Plan, the council's existing development plan - the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) - and Islington's emerging Local Development Framework. There is also existing Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) relevant to ‘green planning’, including the Green Construction SPG. The relevance of these documents to sustainable design is outlined on the ‘Green Planning Policy’ page, which can be accessed by clicking the link under the navigation menu on the left side of this page.

The ‘Green Planning Policy’ page provides links to policy and guidance for householders/minor developments and for major developments, including guidance on submitting planning applications and downloadable forms. There is also baseline report on progress made in securing sustainability measures through major planning applications and a summary of how the Council has been working to develop stronger integration of sustainability and planning to ensure that sustainable design is effectively promoted and delivered.

The ‘Sustainable design guidance’ page (which can be accessed via the navigation menu on the left side of this page) provides links to a range of guidance documents related to sustainable design including:

• Good practice guidance on climate change and biodiversity
• Sustainability in Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings (revise name when finalised)
• Microgeneration and permitted development (revise name when finalised)
• Best practice case studies