Islington Council's Planning Sub Committee A has approved plans for the conversion of a single dwelling into two flats at 93 Axminster Road, despite resident concerns about accommodation quality and design. The decision was made during a meeting on Monday, July 20, 2026.
The approved proposal includes a rear ground-floor extension and a mansard roof extension. The conversion will create one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom self-contained flat.
Accommodation Standards and Design
Objectors raised concerns regarding floor area discrepancies and the quality of accommodation. The three-bedroom flat (Flat 1) will provide 90.46sqm of internal floorspace, exceeding the minimum council requirement of 74sqm for a 3-bedroom, 4-person dwelling. It will also offer 3.2sqm of internal storage, surpassing the 2.5sqm minimum. The two-bedroom flat (Flat 2) will have 70sqm of internal floorspace, exceeding the 61sqm minimum for a 2-bedroom, 3-person dwelling. However, Flat 2's storage of 0.96sqm falls short of the 2sqm requirement.
Regarding design, the mansard roof extension is described as a traditional mansard design, retains the butterfly roof profile to the rear and is set back from the front elevation.
Its dormer windows align with the existing fenestration. The rear ground-floor extension will project 3m from the existing building with a height of 2.4m, featuring large glazed openings and London stock brickwork to match the property. This extension follows the established pattern of rear extensions on the terrace and is designed to remain subordinate to the host building, integrating appropriately within the surrounding context.
Sustainability and Energy
The proposal also includes the installation of cycle storage, an air source heat pump, and photovoltaic panels. While residents questioned the suitability of a single heat pump for two flats, a planning officer stated that for existing buildings with site constraints, the delivery of one air source heat pump was deemed appropriate and reviewed by the Sustainability Officer, who raised no concerns. Sustainability assessments were conducted against the council's guidance and planning policy. For conversions of existing buildings, certain standards are naturally constrained. The officer noted that more restrictive sustainability targets generally apply to new builds over 500 square metres, as detailed in the council's local validation list.
HMO Conversion Restriction
Concerns were also raised about the potential for future use as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). To address this, a condition has been imposed to restrict permitted development rights for HMO conversion, ensuring the units remain as family-sized accommodation. The condition states: Notwithstanding the provisions of Schedule 2, Part 3, Class L of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any other order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modifications), no change of use from C3 (dwellinghouses) to C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation) shall take place.
The council can move to enforcement if this condition is breached. This condition has been successfully used in at least three previous applications and found to be reasonable and necessary by inspectors.
Affordable Housing Viability
A viability assessment indicated that no affordable housing contribution was viable for this scheme. The assessment was reviewed by an independent consultant who used a recognised residual land value methodology and industry-standard assumptions. Key financial factors, including build costs, sales values, developer profit, benchmark land value, and finance costs, were considered. The independent appraisal concluded that the development generates a significant viability deficit, meaning it cannot viably support any affordable housing contribution.
The committee voted to grant planning permission, with Councillor Sheridan Kates expressing satisfaction with the officers' responses. Councillor Giulio Ferrini noted the outcome of the viability assessment.
Further details on the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
