Small Sites in London

Welcome to RCKa’s Small Sites research page. RCKa is a London-based architectural practice with expertise in innovative residential housing, including small-scale infill development. You can find out more about our practice here.

Frustrated by the difficulty of development on small sites in London, and convinced of their capacity to provide much-needed homes, we decided to undertake some research into the reasons why small-scale housing development is so hard. One outcome of this work was a comprehensive set of data relating to housing demand, capacity and planning policy for each London borough. We thought this might be useful to others with the same interest, so we decided to make it freely available to anyone who wants it. You can view the data for each borough by clicking on the table below.

We’ve also begun an experimental exercise to crowd-source small sites around London which may be suitable for housing development. Click here to find out how you can contribute.

Lewisham Small Sites Supplementary Planning Document

Working together with Ash Sakula architects, RCKa has been appointed by Lewisham Council to develop a Supplementary Planning Document for small sites to help encourage new housing development on plots of land below 0.25 hectares.

You can read more about, and contribute to, our work by visiting the dedicated website here.

London Borough of
Bexley

Bexley is an outer London borough. 18.40% of the borough's 6,055.39 hectare (23.38 square mile) area is greenbelt. Furthermore, 9.90% of the borough is Metropolitan Open Land.

The borough has 22 conservation areas, with a total area of around 130.80 hectares. That's around 2.16% of the borough's total area.

The council is currently under Conservative control and in 2018 had an approximate population of 247,260.

Bexley's most recent Local Plan was adopted on 22 February 2011.

London Borough of Bexley has a Design Review Panel, which is run by Design Council.

Facts & Figures

11 18.40% Green Belt as Percentage of Total Area
Total area of designated green belt within borough boundary, expressed as percentage

7 6,055 Total area (ha)
Total area of borough, in hectares

27 41 Population density
People per hectare (based on 2018 population data), including green belt and metropolitan open land

29 57 Population Density (excluding green space)
People per hectare (based on 2018 population data), excluding green belt and metropolitan open land.

30 23.29 Housing Density
Homes per hectare, excluding greenbelt and Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), 2020 estimate

18 4.47% Population Increase, 2013 - 2018
Percentage change in population in five-year period between 2013 and 2018

25 30,060 Mean Household Income
Estimated household income, mean

2 8.78% Household Income / House Price Ratio
Ratio of average (mean) annual income, 2018 estimate, to average (median) house price, 2017 estimate

28 4.00% Overcrowding
Percentage of overcrowded homes in borough.

24 247,260 Population, 2018
Total population, 2018 figures

14 2.45 Occupancy Level per Dwelling
Approximate number of persons per dwelling, based on total borough population (based on 2018 levels) divided by total number of dwellings (based on 2020 projections).

Planning Statistics

16 14 Major Residential Applications Decided, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings decided by LPA during 2020

17 11 Major Residential Applications Granted, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings granted by LPA during 2020

14 14 Major Residential Applications Decided in Time, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings decided within required timescale by LPA during 2020

21 178 Residential Planning Applications, 2019 - 2020
Number of residential planning applications (not number of dwellings) considered by planning authority in period 2019-20. Note that this figure is the total number of planning applications considered rather than the number of homes proposed as part of those applications.

1 100.00% Percentage of Major Residential Applications Decided in Time, 2020
Percentage of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings determined in time by LPA during 2020

29 143 Residential Planning Applications, 2018 - 2019
Number of residential planning applications (not number of dwellings) considered by planning authority in period 2018-19. Note that this figure is the total number of planning applications considered rather than the number of homes proposed as part of those applications.

3 24.48% Change in number of residential planning application, 2019 to 2020.
Percentage change in number of residential planning applications between years 2019 and 2020. Note that this figure is the total number of planning applications considered rather than the number of homes proposed as part of those applications.

23 78.57% Percentage of Major Applications Granted, 2020
Percentage of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings granted by LPA during 2020

Planning Constraints

Planning Constraints Map

London Plan Small Sites Policy H2

Town Centre Boundaries

Green Belt

Conservation Area

TfL Station

Other Station

Green Belt & Open Land

For more information about green belt in London Borough of Bexley, click here.

9 1,112.09 Area of green belt
Total area of greenbelt, in hectares

9 599.48 Area of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)
Total area, in hectares, of metropolitan open land

11 28.30% Green belt and MOL
Percentage of total area which is either green belt or Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)

8 4,344 Area of Borough, Less Green Belt and MOL
Total area of the borough which is not either green belt of Metropolitan Open Land, in hectares.

10 1,712 Total Area of Protected Open Land
Total area of borough designated as either Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land

Highways

8 560.67 Total Surface Area of Roads
The total area taken up by roads (public highway, excluding pavements), expressed in hectares.

28 9.26% Surface Area of Roads
Percentage of borough's total area occupied by public highway, assuming an average road width of 9m for local roads, and 12m for regional and national roads.

28 53.09 Area (sqm) per Registered Car
Using DFT data from 2018, the total area in square metres of roads for each private registered car (excluding vans)

London Plan Targets

Bexley, London Borough of's 10 year housing target in the currently adopted 2015 London Plan was 4,457. This was increased to to 12,450 in the 2018 draft replacement ("Examination in Public") version of the London Plan.

In the adopted version of the new London Plan, this target has been revised to 6,850; a reduction of 44.98%.

30 4,457 10-Year Housing Target, 2015 Superseded London Plan
10 year housing target

28 12,450 10-Year Housing Target, 2018 Draft London Plan
10 year housing target

31 6,850 10-Year Housing Target, 2021 Current London Plan
10 year housing target. (Table 4.1 in the "Publication London Plan December 2020" version)

30 1.13 10-Year Housing Target Per Hectare, 2021 Current London Plan
10 year housing target per hectare

31 1.24 10-Year Housing Target Per Hectare (Less Protected Open Space), 2021 Current London Plan
10 year housing target per hectare (excluding greenbelt and Metropolitan Open Land)

30 0.03 10-Year Housing Target Per Hectare (Per Head of Population), 2021 Current London Plan
10 year housing target per head of population (2018)

4 44.98% Reduction in total housing targets
Comparison between ITP and EIP targets (percentage change)

2 179.34% Change in housing targets, 2015 London Plan to 2018 Examination in Public London Plan

25 -5,600 Total Change in Housing Targets
Difference between 2018 'Examination in Public' version of the London Plan and the 2019 'Publication London Plan December 2020' version.

Small Sites

In the 2018 draft replacement London Plan, Bexley's housing target for small sites (below 0.25Ha) was 8,650—69.48% of its total requirement. In the adopted version of the plan this has been changed to 3,050 which is a reduction of 64.74%.

For more information on small sites in London Borough of Bexley, please click here.

12 8,650 10-Year Small Sites Housing Target, 2018 Draft London Plan
10 year small sites housing target

21 3,050 10-Year Small Sites Housing Target, 2021 Current London Plan
10 year small sites housing target. (Table 4.2 in the "Publication London Plan December 2020" version)

9 44.53% Percentage of Homes on Small Sites, 2021 Current London Plan
Percentage of homes to be delivered on small sites

2 64.74% Reduction in Small Sites targets
Comparison between ITP and EIP targets

23 -5,600 Reduction in Small Sites Targets
Total reduction in quantity of homes to be delivered on small sites between EIP and ITP versions of the plan

27 51.08% Percentage of borough included within policy H2
Percentage of total borough area which is included within new London Plan (Publication London Plan December 2020) Policy H2, paragraph 4.2.5 zone, ie. within 800m of a station or town centre, or PTAL 3 or more.

24 0.99 Density of homes to be delivered within London Plan Small Sites zones
Density of homes per hectare, limited to area included within new London Plan (Publication London Plan December 2020) Policy H2, paragraph 4.2.5 zone, ie. within 800m of a station or town centre, or PTAL 3 or more.

13 2.80 Density based on 2018 London Plan small sites targets
Homes / hectare, including areas of borough only covered by Policy H2, paragraph 4.2.5, ie. PTAL 3+ or within 800m of station or town centre.

7 1.81 Additional homes per hectare required to achieve London Plan 2018 targets compared to 2019 targets
Based on London Plan targets, and small sites zones as defined by Policy H2, paragraph 4.2.5 zone, ie. within 800m of a station or town centre, or PTAL 3 or more.

15 3,093 Area of borough included within Policy H2, paragraph 4.2.5 zone
Policy H2 of the Publication London Plan December 2020 defines areas appropriate for small site development (ie. 0.25ha or less) as having a PTAL of 3 or higher, or within 800m of a station or a town centre boundary.

8 79,370 Freehold Titles <0.25ha
Total number of freehold titles within borough which have an area less than 0.25ha

3 0.79 Ratio of Small Sites to Total Housing Stock
Total number of freeholds with an area of less than 0.25ha divided by total number of dwellings (housing stock)

21 0.93 Ratio of Small Sites to All Sites
Total number of freehold sites with an area of less than 0.25ha divided by the total number of freehold sites for that borough

7 370.39 Area of Green Belt within Small Sites Policy H2 Zone
The total area, in hectares, of land which is both designated green belt and within the London Plan small sites policy H2 zone, ie. within 800m of a station, town centre, or with PTAL 3 or greater

31 2,212 Historic Small Sites Housing Approvals (2010-2019)
Total net number of residential dwellings approved on small sites (<0.25ha) during period 2010-2019, based on date of approval. Note that these figures include duplicate applications for the same site.

29 215 Historic Small Sites Affordable Housing Approved (2010-2019)
Total net number of affordable residential dwellings approved on small sites (<0.25ha) during period 2010-2019, based on date of approval. Note that these figures include duplicate applications for the same site.

5 33.24% Percentage of Green Belt within H2 Zone
Percentage of total green belt area which also falls within the London Plan Small Site Policy H2 zone (ie. 800m from station, town centre or with PTAL 3 or more)

20 9.72% Affordable Dwellings as Percentage of Small Site Approvals (2010-2019)
Percentage of planning approvals for new dwellings on small sites (<0.25ha) defined as "affordable" during period 2010-2019 inclusive. Note that there may be duplicate applications for the same site on different dates.

1 1.38 Ratio of Small Sites Approvals to Publication London Plan December 2020 Small Sites Targets
Total small sites housing target in Publication London Plan December 2020 divided by the total number of approved dwellings on small sites (<0.25ha) during period 2010-2019 inclusive. Note that there may be duplicate applications for the same site on different dates.

30 0.37 Number of Dwelling Approved on Small Sites per Hectare
Total number of dwellings approved on small sites (<0.25ha), per hectare, for period 2010-2019 inclusive. Note that there may be duplicate applications for the same site on different dates.

30 704 Total Number of Planning Applications for Small Sites, 2010-2019
The total number of planning applications approved for small sites (<0.25ha) which include a net increase in residential dwellings. (Note that this the number of applications, not the number of homes approved within those applications).

28 23 Total Number of Planning Applications for Affordable Housing on Small Sites, 2010-2019
The total number of planning applications approved for small sites (<0.25ha) which include a net increase in affordable residential dwellings. (Note that this the number of applications, not the number of homes approved within those applications).

5 11.97% Percentage of Policy H2 Zone within Green Belt
The percentage of the borough which falls within the London Plan Policy H2 small sites zone which also falls within green belt designation.

31 1,370 Total Completed Small Sites Housing Developments 2010-2019
Total number of homes on small sites (<0.25ha) consented within period 2010-2019 inclusive, which have also been shown as completed within the London Development Database.

29 143 Total Completed Small Sites Affordable Housing Developments 2010-2019
Total number of affordable homes within small sites (<0.25ha) consented within period 2010-2019 inclusive, which have also been shown as completed within the London Development Database.

25 61.93% Percentage of Completed Homes on Small Sites Consented 2010-2019
The percentage of homes on small sites (<0.25ha) which have been completed compared to those consented in the period 2010-2019, according to the London Development Database. Note that the total number of consented homes might include multiple approvals for the same site: the completed schemes, presumably, do not. Note also the likely under-reporting of this figure, as applications consented within recent years may not have been completed and therefore would not be included within these figures.

33 0.45 Ratio of Historic Housing Completions on Small Sites Compared to Publication London Plan December 2020 Housing Target
This figure shows the total number of completed small sites housing units which have been consented in the ten-year period 2010-2019 divided by the new London Plan (Publication London Plan December 2020) small sites housing target (Policy H2). Those boroughs which exceed 1.0 have delivered more homes on small sites the last 10 years than they are required to do under the new targets.

29 0.23 Density of Completed Small Sites (Dwellings/Hectare) Consented 2010-2019
Density of homes completed on small sites in the ten-year period 2010-2019, expressed as dwellings per hectare.

Housing Delivery Test

Bexley's required number of new homes between 2018 and 2022 was 1,712. In this period it actually delivered 1,557 new homes, resulting in a Housing Delivery Test measurement of 91%.

As a result, Bexley, London Borough of will be required to produce an action plan which identifies ways in which the authority can prevent under-provision from happening again.

2022 Results

None

Action Plan

Buffer

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

2021 Results

None

Action Plan

Buffer

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

2020 Results

None

Action Plan

Buffer

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

2019 Results

None

Action Plan

Buffer

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

2018 Results

None

Action Plan

Buffer

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

Note that the above maps exclude both Mayoral Development Corporations for clarity. See the ranking tables below for the performance of these entities.

21 93.00% NPPF Housing Delivery Test 2021: Score
Percentage of homes delivered compared to number required, for period 2018-21 inclusive, as described by NPPF Housing Delivery Test (note that the 'consequence' of the result is based on a figure rounded to the nearest whole number, so a score of, say, 94.7% will result in no consequence. For the purposes of this table, figures have been rounded accordingly, even though they are expressed to two decimal places.)

31 1,473 NPPF Housing Delivery Test 2021: Number Required
Total number of new homes required in period 2018-2021, as defined by the government's 2021 Housing Delivery Test measurements

12 14.85% Change in Housing Delivery Test Results 2020 to 2021
Percentage change in results between 2020 - 2021

31 1,377 NPPF Housing Delivery Test 2021: Number Achieved
Total number of new homes achieved in period 2018-2021, as defined by the government's 2021 Housing Delivery Test measurements

20 93 NPPF Housing Delivery Test 2021: Score
Percentage of homes delivered compared to target

21 215.04% Comparison of 2021 Housing Delivery Test (required) / London Plan Housing Targets (Publication London Plan March 2021)
Percentage of homes required to be delivered under the 2020 Housing Delivery Test (six year period, from 2018-2021 inclusive) compared to the Publication London Plan March 2020 version of the London Plan (annualised figures for four year period).

Housing Targets - Standard Method

29 624 Standard Method - Total Housing Targets
Total number of homes to be delivered using current standard method, according to planning consultancy Lichfields

26 1,797 2020 Standard Method - Total Housing Targets
Total number of homes to be delivered using 2020 standard method, according to planning consultancy Lichfields

5 287.98% Standard Method - Change in Total Housing Targets
Change in housing targets based on comparison between current Standard Method and 2020 version, according to Lichfields

25 0.41 Standard Method 2020 - Density
Density of homes to be provided under proposed 2020 Standard Method, per hectare, excluding green belt and metropolitan open land

23 1.78% Standard Method 2020 - Percentage of Total Housing Stock
Total housing target for borough using proposed 2020 Standard Method, expressed as a percentage of total housing stock (2020 projections)

Planning Policy

28 22 February 2011 Local Plan - Date of Adoption
Date of current (or at least, most recent) Local Plan adoption, based on Planning Inspectorate information. See source for date

6 163 Months since Local Plan adoption
Number of months that have elapsed since the LPA's Local Plan was adopted

Planning Appeals

31 29 Planning Appeals Decided - 2018-2019
Total number of planning appeals decided between April 2018 and March 2019

30 5 Planning Appeals Allowed - 2018-2019
Total number of planning appeals allowed between April 2018 and March 2019

31 17.24% Percentage of Planning Appeals Allowed
Percentage of planning appeals allowed in period April 2018 to March 2019

House Prices

27 £71,000 Median House Price, end of December 1997
Median cost of market-sale housing, excluding sales below market value (eg. Right to Buy), sales below £1,000 and sales above £20m

32 £342,500 Median House Price, end of December 2017
Median cost of market-sale housing, excluding sales below market value (eg. Right to Buy), sales below £1,000 and sales above £20m

31 482.39% 10 Year House Price Increase
Percentage increase in median house price between December 1997 and December 2017

24 393.50% Ratio of house prices to median earnings, 1997
Ratio of house prices to median earnings, based on 1997 data

31 1,114.44% Ratio of house prices to median earnings, 2017
Ratio of house prices to median earnings, based on 2017 data

5 35.31% Change in house price to median earnings ratio, 20 year period
Percentage change in house price / median earning ratio in 20 year period from 1997 to 2017

Housing Stock

24 101,097 Housing Stock (2020)
2020 projected total housing stock

25 11.78% Housing Stock (Increase, 2020-2030)
Projected increase in housing stock 2020 - 2030

32 24.34% Flats as percentage of total dwellings
Number of flats within each borough expressed as a percentage of total housing stock, based on VOA data

33 9.84% Percentage of 1 bed homes
Percentage of total number of dwellings which have one bedroom (including houses and flats)

24 95,950 Total number of dwellings
Total number of dwellings within borough, based on VOA data

9 57,930 Number of Family Homes
Total number of family homes (dwellings with 3 or more bedrooms) based on 2015 data.

24 27.65% Percentage of 2 bed homes
Percentage of total number of dwellings which have two bedrooms (including houses and flats)

31 37.49% Percentage of 1 or 2 bed homes
Percentage of total number of dwellings which have one or two bedrooms (including houses and flats)

15 397,820 Total number of habitable rooms
Total number of habitable rooms for all residential property types, assuming the following: 1 bed = 2 habitable rooms, 2 bed = 3 habitable rooms, 3 bed = 5 habitable rooms, 4+ bed = 6 habitable rooms

29 91.63 Density of Habitable Rooms
Habitable rooms per hectare for all property types, assuming the following: 1 bed = 2 habitable rooms, 2 bed = 3 habitable rooms, 3 bed = 5 habitable rooms, 4+ bed = 6 habitable rooms, excluding green belt and metropolitan open land

13 0 Council homes completed, 2018
Total number of council homes built during 12 month period covering 2017/18

25 13.34 Density of Family Homes
Number of family homes (assumed with three bedrooms or more) per hectare, excluding green belt and metropolitan open land

27 0.62 Residents per habitable room
This figure takes the 2018 population of the authority, divided by the total number of habitable rooms (based on 2015 housing stock data) to provide an approximate ratio of people per habitable room. The higher the figure, the more overcrowded the borough.

4 57.30% Percentage of Housing Stock which is Family Homes
The total number of family homes expressed as a percentage of total housing stock.

Rents

30 £1,100 Median Monthly Rental, 2019
12 months to Q1 2019

11 41.94% Increase in Median Monthly Rental, 2011 - 2019
Percentage change in median monthly rents, all categories, for period between 12 months to Q2 2011 to 12 months to Q1 2019.

Vacant Dwellings

23 1,623 Number of Vacant Dwellings
Total number of vacant dwellings, based on 2018 data

19 1.61% Vacant Dwellings as Proportion of Housing Stock
Percentage of total housing stock (2020 estimate) which is defined as "vacant" by MHCLG methodology, based on 2018 figures

Brownfield Land

28 16 Area of Brownfield Land
Total area of brownfield land, in hectares, based on CPRE data

29 383 Projected Homes on Brownfield Land
Area of brownfield land multiplied by average borough housing density (based on 2020 housing projections), excluding green belt and metropolitan land. Note that this figure provides the potential additional dwellings based on existing densities rather than projected increases in density

29 3.08% Comparison Against London Plan EIP Housing Targets
Compares the potential development capacity on brownfield land against the London Plan (Examination in Public) housing targets. Note that a comparison against small sites targets is not useful as the brownfield registers might include large sites which exceed 0.25Ha and therefore do not count as "small sites" under the Policy H2 definition

14 99.80% Percentage of new homes consented on brownfield land
For period 2016/17

Golf Courses

16 70.99 Area of Golf Courses in Borough
Total area, in hectares, of all golf courses within the borough. Where a single golf course crosses a borough boundary, only the area that falls within it is counted

20 1.17% Percentage of Borough Occupied by Golf Courses
Total percentage of borough area which is occupied by golf courses. Where a single golf course crosses a borough boundary, only the area that falls within it is counted

21 1,653 Potential Housing Capacity of Golf Courses
Taking the prevailing housing density for the borough, this shows the total potential capacity of the borough's golf courses have to provide housing. These areas include green belt, which would not be eligible for development, but as this is a slightly mischievous exercise it doesn't hurt to explore the idea

8 70.90 Area of Golf Courses not in Green Belt
Total area, in hectares, of golf courses which do no lie within designated green belt

13 1,451 Housing Capacity of Golf Courses not in Green Belt
The potential capacity for areas of golf courses which do not sit within designation green belt. There may be other protections (eg. Metropolitan Open Land) which apply, but which are not included within the data. For this data existing housing density has been calculated by excluding green belt land, but not MOL, as most golf courses that do not occupy green belt are otherwise designated as MOL

Homelessness

20 3,860 People living in temporary accommodation
As of March 2019

30 5 People Sleeping Rough
As of Autumn 2018

20 3,865 Total Number of Homeless People

19 1.56% Percentage of Population Homeless
Estimate based on December 2019 figures (temporary accommodation) and Autumn 2018 estimate (rough sleepers)

13 6,553 Households on council housing waiting list, 2019
Total number of households on council housing waiting list

27 -0.91% Change in number of households on waiting list, 2018-2019
Percentage channge in number of households on borough housing waiting list, between 2018 and 2019.

13 6,613 Households on council housing waiting list, 2018
Total number of households on council housing waiting list

14 6.96% Percentage of Households on Waiting List
Percentage of total borough households on housing waiting list

Demographics

26 6.85% Percentage of total borough population classified as Asian
Percentage of total borough population falling within Asian classification, according to ONS

29 21.37% Percentage of Total Borough Population as BAME
Percentage of total borough population falling within BAME (including Asian, Black, Mixed / Other) according to ONS classifications

Car Ownership

8 105,611 Number of licensed vehicles (cars only), 2018
Total number of licensed vehicles, by borough, 2018

13 9.40% Change in number of licensed vehicles (cars), 2004 - 2018
Percentage change in number of licensed vehicles (cars only), 2004 - 2018

5 0.43 Number of licensed cars per head of population, 2018
Number of licensed vehicles (cars only) in 2018, divided by total borough population for the same year

23 17.44 Vehicle density
Number of licensed vehicles (cars only) per hectare, 2018 figures

17 0.05% Change in Car Ownership by Head of Population
Percentage change in car ownership per head of population in period between 2013 and 2018.

14 53,947.05 Number of Registered Vehicles within Small Sites Zone
Number of vehicles within London Plan Policy H2 Small Sites zone, assuming even distribution across the borough's area (including green belt)

Air Quality

28 13.00 Air quality, Particulates
Population weighted average concentration of PM2.5 (µg / m3), calculated for males and females and 5 year age groups separately,weighted average

29 30.60 Air quality, NO2
Population weighted average concentration of NO2 (µg / m3), calculated for males and females and 5 year age groups separately, weighted average

Wards

There are 17 wards in the borough:

Ward NameONS Ward CodeArea (ha)
BarnehurstE05011217213.0
BelvedereE05011218575.7
BexleyheathE05011219362.5
Blackfen & LamorbeyE05011220290.8
Blendon & PenhillE05011221337.4
CrayfordE05011222511.3
Crook LogE05011223267.7
East WickhamE05011224281.7
ErithE05011225322.6
Falconwood & WellingE05011226326.1
LonglandsE05011227188.7
Northumberland HeathE05011228171.4
SidcupE05011230399.0
Slade Green & NorthendE05011231554.3
St. Mary's & St. JamesE05011229874.7
Thamesmead EastE05011232514.4
West HeathE05011233237.5
Total6,428.6