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 Legacy Development Corporation
London Legacy Development Corporation is a Mayoral Development Corporation.
Facts & Figures
0.00%
Green Belt as Percentage of Total Area
Total area of designated green belt within borough boundary, expressed as percentage
Planning Statistics
35
0
Major Residential Applications Decided, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings decided by LPA during 2020
35
0
Major Residential Applications Granted, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings granted by LPA during 2020
35
0
Major Residential Applications Decided in Time, 2020
Total number of "major" planning applications for residential dwellings decided within required timescale by LPA during 2020
Planning Constraints
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 Legacy Development Corporation, click here.
0.00
Area of green belt
Total area of greenbelt, in hectares
0.00
Area of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)
Total area, in hectares, of metropolitan open land
0.00%
Green belt and MOL
Percentage of total area which is either green belt or Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)
0
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.
0
Total Area of Protected Open Land
Total area of borough designated as either Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land
Highways
London Plan Targets
London Legacy Development Corporation's 10 year housing target in the currently adopted 2015 London Plan was 14,711. This was increased to to 21,610 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 21,540; a reduction of 0.32%.
11
14,711
10-Year Housing Target, 2015 Superseded London Plan
10 year housing target
12
21,610
10-Year Housing Target, 2018 Draft London Plan
10 year housing target
8
21,540
10-Year Housing Target, 2021 Current London Plan
10 year housing target. (Table 4.1 in the "Publication London Plan December 2020" version)
31
0.32%
Reduction in total housing targets
Comparison between ITP and EIP targets (percentage change)
46.90%
Change in housing targets, 2015 London Plan to 2018 Examination in Public London Plan
5
-70
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, London Legacy Development Corporation's housing target for small sites (below 0.25Ha) was 800—3.70% of its total requirement. In the adopted version of the plan this has been changed to 730 which is a reduction of 8.75%.
For more information on small sites in London Legacy Development Corporation, please click here.
33
800
10-Year Small Sites Housing Target, 2018 Draft London Plan
10 year small sites housing target
34
730
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)
34
3.39%
Percentage of Homes on Small Sites, 2021 Current London Plan
Percentage of homes to be delivered on small sites
29
8.75%
Reduction in Small Sites targets
Comparison between ITP and EIP targets
-70
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
0.00
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
33
1,044
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.
31
150
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.
12
14.37%
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.
23
0.70
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.
34
47
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).
32
14
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).
32
843
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.
31
112
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.
2
80.75%
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.
8
1.15
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.
Housing Delivery Test
London Legacy Development Corporation's required number of new homes between 2018 and 2022 was 4,934. In this period it actually delivered 4,815 new homes, resulting in a Housing Delivery Test measurement of 98%.
As a result, London Legacy Development Corporation suffers no consequences under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
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.
14
106.00%
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.)
9
4,252
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
17
8.49%
Change in Housing Delivery Test Results 2020 to 2021
Percentage change in results between 2020 - 2021
10
4,516
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
106
NPPF Housing Delivery Test 2021: Score
Percentage of homes delivered compared to target
197.40%
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
0
Standard Method - Total Housing Targets
Total number of homes to be delivered using current standard method, according to planning consultancy Lichfields
Planning Policy
15
21 July 2015
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
105
Months since Local Plan adoption
Number of months that have elapsed since the LPA's Local Plan was adopted
Planning Appeals
34
3
Planning Appeals Decided - 2018-2019
Total number of planning appeals decided between April 2018 and March 2019
32
3
Planning Appeals Allowed - 2018-2019
Total number of planning appeals allowed between April 2018 and March 2019
1
100.00%
Percentage of Planning Appeals Allowed
Percentage of planning appeals allowed in period April 2018 to March 2019
House Prices
£0
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
£0
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
Rents
Vacant Dwellings
Brownfield Land
7
Area of Brownfield Land
Total area of brownfield land, in hectares, based on CPRE data
Golf Courses
0.00
Area of Golf Courses not in Green Belt
Total area, in hectares, of golf courses which do no lie within designated green belt