Boost for Council’s Office-To-Flats Challenge

Islington Council is optimistic that a compromise can be reached with the government on halting unrestricted office-to-flats conversion in the borough, after the Secretary of State admitted that the CLG got its numbers wrong in blocking the council's attempt to do so.  Islington became the first council to make an Article 4 direction to remove government-given rights for developers to convert offices to homes without planning permission. The then Planning Minister Nick Boles MP quashed the Article 4 arguing that Islington failed to deliver its housing targets over the period 2009 - 2013. In fact, Islington exceeded its overall housing target by 43% over this period. The CLG has now accepted that it made 'a mistake of fact' by failing to take into account all the types of housing that the London Plan housing targets do. The CLG has agreed to rescind its decision to quash Islington's Article 4 direction in the next few weeks.  Read more on the Islington Council website.