Guide For Designing London Homes Published

In a city where garden sheds are advertised as studio flats, the just-published London Housing Design Guide is a welcome document. Kieran Long has an excellent report in the Standard, but the main attraction is the introduction of minimum floor areas for new builds, something not seen in Britain since the Parker Morris guidelines were scrapped in 1981 (wanna know who to blame for your lack of storage? Maggie Thatcher, space snatcher). Though the rules apply only for public sector builds from 2011, the Mayor, who has made housing a key priority for his first term, wants to see them included in the London Plan.