Plans to build almost 1,000 homes in Islington have been approved today (Tuesday, April 1) by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
The Mayor ‘called-in’ the City Forum development on City Road in December 2013 after officers from Islington Council refused the application.
Since then, City Hall planners have been working closely with developer Berkeley Homes and the council to bring forward a scheme that can alleviate some of London’s pressing housing needs and regenerate a part of London that is in need of improvement.
The scheme comprises a 42-storey tower block and a 36-storey tower block in an area already designated by Islington Council as suitable for locating a cluster of tall buildings. The development will include 995 homes, 30 per cent of which will be affordable. There will also be a 190-room hotel, a crèche, retail and office space. It is expected that the development will lead to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “London is enjoying an unprecedented population boom and by 2030 will become the first city in Europe to be home to ten million people. Building new homes and creating more jobs is absolutely crucial so that we can ensure this growth is sustainable.”
Since taking on the role of planning authority, the Mayor’s team has negotiated with Berkeley Homes to ensure that the developer funds all of the affordable housing themselves, with no taxpayer funding which will result in the 144 affordable rented units on the site being provided at ‘target’ rents to make them even more affordable.
At today’s representation hearing, the developer also agreed to build the affordable homes early in the construction process and committed to make substantial progress on the scheme within two years.
The Mayor has called in 11 planning applications since 2009 as he looks to use the full range of his planning powers to speed up the decision-making process so that vitally-important applications are determined in a timely fashion.
Yesterday, the Mayor approved plans to build up to 3,500 new homes with the potential to create over 2,000 new jobs at Convoys Wharf, Deptford. He took over this application in October 2013 after receiving a request from the developer because the application was not determined by Lewisham Council in the statutory 16 week period.