Planning and listed building consent applications must include a Heritage Statement which demonstrates a clear understanding of the significance of any heritage assets affected by the proposals, including any contribution to significance made by their setting; and assesses the potential impact on significance arising from the proposals. Heritage Statements must be informed by specialist heritage advice and must include sufficient information to allow full assessment of development proposals.
Conservation areas
B.
Development within conservation areas and their settings – including alterations to existing buildings and new development - must conserve or enhance the significance of the area, and must be of a high quality contextual design. Proposals that harm the significance of a conservation area must provide clear and convincing justification for the harm; where proposals will cause substantial harm to the significance of a conservation area, they will be strongly resisted.
C.
Buildings, spaces, street patterns, views and vistas, uses and trees which contribute to the significance of a conservation area must be retained. The significance of a conservation area can be harmed over time by the cumulative impact arising from the loss of these elements which may individually make a limited positive contribution, but cumulatively have a greater positive contribution.
Listed buildings
Listed buildings
D.
Proposals that harm the significance of a listed building (through inappropriate repair, alteration, extension, demolition and/or development within its setting) must provide clear and convincing justification for the harm. Substantial harm to, or loss of, a listed building will be strongly resisted.
Historic green spaces
E.
Islington’s historic green spaces are important heritage assets and are listed in Appendix
6. Proposals which affect the significance of historic green spaces must ensure:
(i) the conservation or enhancement of the spaces themselves, their setting and any important features;
(ii) that the enjoyment, layout, design, character, appearance or setting of spaces, and key views out from the landscape, is maintained or enhanced; and
(iii) that any planned or potential future restoration is not prejudiced. The Council encourages the restoration and management of historic green spaces to enhance their value.
F.
Proposals that harm the significance of a historic green space must provide clear and convincing justification for the harm. Where proposals will cause substantial harm to their significance, they will be strongly resisted.
Archaeology
G.
Islington’s Archaeological Priority Areas and scheduled monuments are identified on the Policies Map. Proposals which have the potential to affect archaeological remains and/or heritage assets of archaeological interest, particularly those within Archaeological Priority Areas and/or in proximity to scheduled monuments, are required to include an Archaeological Assessment and, where necessary Field Evaluation.
H.
Important archaeological remains must be retained in situ. Substantial harm to, or loss of, nationally important archaeological remains will be strongly resisted. Where this cannot be achieved measures must be taken to mitigate the impact of proposals through archaeological fieldwork to investigate and record remains in advance of works, and subsequent analysis, publication and dissemination of the findings.
Where appropriate, public benefits should be sought by revealing and/or interpreting archaeological discoveries.
Non-designated heritage assets
I.
Non-designated heritage assets, including locally listed buildings and shopfronts, must be identified early in the design process for any development proposal which may impact on their significance. The Council will encourage the retention, repair and re-use of non-designated heritage assets. Proposals that unjustifiably harm the significance of a non-designated heritage asset or their setting will generally not be permitted.
Views
J.
There are a number of strategic views, local views and views of local landmarks within and across Islington. These give important views toward St. Paul’s Cathedral, while some offer a unique panoramic view of Islington and other parts of London or a view of St. Paul’s or a local landmark as part of the broader townscape (particularly street level views). Development must protect or enhance the London View Management Framework views and Local Views. Proposals involving the redevelopment of buildings that currently adversely impact a protected view must take all reasonable steps to enhance the view and remove any existing infringement on the view. Development proposals must provide appropriate supporting material – including 3D modelling - to verify the visual impact of proposed development on protected views.
Local Landmarks
K.
Development in the vicinity of a Local Landmark should protect or enhance their settings. Heritage assessments for development affecting Local Landmarks should identify impacts on the building’s role within the townscape.
Heritage at risk
L.
Where development proposals involve ‘at risk’ heritage assets, opportunities must be sought to address the negative factors which contribute to the ‘at risk’ status.
M.
Where there is evidence of deliberate neglect of, or damage to, a heritage asset, the deteriorated state of the heritage asset will not be taken into account in any decision.