Ealing Council has set out new standards that future council homes in the borough will be expected to follow, covering everything from energy efficiency and affordability to residents’ health and the effects of climate change.
The council’s new Development Guide, produced with architecture and urban design practice Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE), takes immediate effect and includes a 49-point checklist against which projects will be assessed.
The 2026-2031 guide is intended for architects, planners, engineers and development partners working with the council on council-led housing developments.
Among the standards are balconies and terraces at least 50% larger than minimum regulatory requirements, better sound insulation than required under Building Regulations and independent testing of indoor air quality.
The guide also sets buildings of up to six storeys as the default for new neighbourhoods, although taller buildings can be considered depending on their scale, safety, impact on residents and the surrounding area.
Developments should also achieve a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity, with habitats managed for at least 30 years.
However, the council has confirmed to EALING.NEWS that developments will be expected to follow the guide “wherever practicable”, rather than every standard being mandatory in all circumstances.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “Ealing expects all future council-led housing developments and development partners to follow the guide wherever practicable.
“However, it is recognised that every site and project is different, and there may be circumstances where full compliance with every aspect of the guide is not achievable.
“In such cases, any departure from the guide will be considered and justified on a project-by-project basis.”
One of the guide’s main ambitions is for new buildings to meet the Passivhaus Plus standard, with projects encouraged to aim for the higher Passivhaus Premium standard.
Passivhaus homes are designed to need far less energy for heating and cooling, which can help keep residents’ energy bills down.
The council told EALING.NEWS that meeting the standard will not always be possible. This could include developments where it would be difficult to achieve or those which already have planning permission and would need significant changes.
Housing developments which are still at an early stage will be expected to follow the new guide, while those already further along may not meet all of its standards.
Golf Links Phase 3 in Southall, which was handed over this summer, was designed under the Broadway Living Development Guide, a predecessor to the new framework.
The development has 143 Passivhaus homes and is included in the new guide as an example of the type of housing it is seeking to encourage.
The council says the new standards will be checked throughout the design and construction of each development.
Once people have moved in, larger developments will also be reviewed within a year to find out how well the homes are working and what residents think of them.
Ealing Council told EALING.NEWS it intends to carry out resident satisfaction surveys.
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “No decision has yet been made on whether the results of these resident surveys and performance reviews will be published.”
Councillor Louise Brett, deputy leader of Ealing Council and cabinet member for safe and genuinely affordable homes, said: “Residents deserve homes that are affordable to live in, comfortable all year round and built to last.
“This new Development Guide sets out the standards we expect for every new council-led housing development, helping us deliver on our commitment to provide more genuinely affordable homes while tackling climate change and keeping household energy bills down.
“By working closely with our development partners, we can create high-quality homes and neighbourhoods that people are proud to call home for generations to come.”
Tom Dollard, partner at Pollard Thomas Edwards, said: “The housing and climate crises demand a new approach to development.
“The Ealing Development Guide demonstrates how councils can deliver homes that are genuinely affordable, environmentally responsible and great places to live.
“By embedding high standards for design, sustainability and resident wellbeing from the outset, Ealing is creating a blueprint for future housing delivery that other local authorities can learn from.”
