Saturday, Aug 21, 2010
Boris introduces minimum space standards for housing
London Development Agency: London Housing Design Guide
"In recent years London has been providing some of the smallest homes in the developed world and too many developments of a low quality." The new standards require a minimum of 50m² GIA (Gross Internal Area) for a 1bedroom/2person single-storey home (i.e. a flat). The minimum is 83m² for a two-storey 2bedroom/4person home. Hallways to have a minimum width of 900mm (750mm at pinch points e.g. radiators). Single bedrooms should be at least 8m². Double bedrooms 12m². Outdoor space minimum of 5m² for two people, plus 1m² for each additional person. Balconies at least 1500mm wide. Living room windows should be no more than 850mm above the floor to people to see out while seated. Soviet tractor production must use wheels no smaller than 1200mm in diameter.
6 Comments
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1. drewster said...
I've just taken out the measuring tape. Tragically, my current home fails to meet these standards.
2. uncle tom said...
There's an awful lot of existing stock that fails to meet these criteria.
Note though, that this applies only to publicly funded development - how much of that is there in London now?
3. peter said...
Boris has certainly got the right first name to become a Kommissar. Just needs a good haircut and a Party badge.
The fact that pointless agencies like the LDA are still churning out daft edicts bodes ill for this new regime.
Why can't they just butt out of people's lives?
4. Bogdan said...
I think the idea of minimum standards for flats is a very good one. There are many so-called 'two-bed' flats in my area which are about 50-55 square meters. The owners should not be allowed to sell such glorified studios as 2 bed flats. In London there is limited space to build, and someone should ensure that the ones that are being built are of good quality....
5. monty032 said...
We are just about the only country in Europe that doesn't have rules on minimum floor area for new residential property, and guess what! The smallest houses in Europe.
I spent two unhappy years recently as the first occupant of a "three-bedroomed town house". It would have been more honestly described as a two-bed maisonette with a ground floor consisting of a box room and a bin store (called a garage but you couldn't fit even a small car in it). There was no space for a dining table and our second fridge was in the lounge. It was worth £300,000 according to the Land Registry, even in NE England. It cost the landlord £240,000 after Barratt's 10% cash back in each of the first two years, but he still got only a 3.3% GRY on it.
There should be national standards for the minimum size of all new property.
6. monty032 said...
Funnily enough my old house is on sale now as "A Home To Grow Into" at £240,000. Identical houses are on sale on the same estate for £200,000. Not much of a return over four years for the landlord.