Anne-Marie Huby and Leyla Boulton (middle) with neighbours Pia Rainey and Dorit Young in October 2022

TRAFFIC might be the most obvious source of carbon emissions, but buildings are among north London’s biggest polluters.

Heating, cooling and powering our homes and businesses accounts for a huge share of emissions.

There are dozens of ways to reduce this – and the cost of energy bills – by making buildings more efficient through retrofitting, but residents said this week that complicated planning and building regulations can often get in the way.

In an effort to streamline the journey for climate-conscious people wanting to retrofit their homes, Islington Council has created new guidance which is currently open for public feedback.

These guides explain how to implement energy-saving measures like LED lighting, draught-proofing and solar panel installations, and give specific advice for Georgian, Victorian, early- and mid-20th- century homes.

Islington’s climate chief, Councillor Rowena Champion, said: “We know that retrofitting can sometimes feel like a complex and daunting process, which is why we’ve created these new guidance documents to make it easier for local people to take action.

Repairing windows and allowing ventilation

“By improving the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings, we can collectively reduce emissions, cut energy bills, and create a healthier environment for everyone.”

Campaign groups say the guidance remains overly complicated.

Barnsbury resident Robert Milne, an engineer and member of Islington Environment Alliance (IEA), said it was “long overdue”, having first been promised two years ago.

“One must wonder whether appropriate priority was given to it,” he said. “What we want to see is simplification and clarification. They are attempting to do this, but unfortunately it’s all so wordy.

“What household is going to plough its way through those?”

One of the new documents is 142 pages and the other is 94 pages.

Leyla Boulton and Anne-Marie Huby, co-chairs of another local group, Green Conservation, have spent two years pushing for changes to the council’s planning system after Ms Boulton realised she was unable to add an extra solar panel to her roof without seeking permission.

Islington currently puts restrictions on double-glazing or solar panels on historic buildings in an effort to protect their appearance.

Ms Huby said: “The new guidance on some key aspects – such as windows and insulation – is inconsistent, incomplete and, in some cases, technically incorrect.

“Most importantly, the council is failing to deliver on its promise to clarify upfront and in detail what residents would be allowed to do.

“Islington residents will have to continue to rely on expensive consultants to make sensible changes to their heritage homes that would be automatically approved in another London borough, and remain at the mercy
of a slow and under-resourced planning department.”

The public consultation on the new guidance documents runs until Tuesday February 18.