Croydon Planning – Changes Since the Planning Committees Controlled by the Conservatives
Since the local elections on the 5th May 2022 across the South of the Borough there have been 211 planning applications up for decision that have been submitted by developers where the proposal was for the demolition of detached properties to be replaced with up to 9 flats or a mixture of up to 9 units of both flats and houses. Of these 211 applications 148 applications have been refused planning approval under either the Council’s Delegated Authority or at Planning Committee meetings, with another 14 applications having been withdrawn and only 49 applications being approved.
Further there are currently 19 new planning applications submitted by developers for the demolition of detached properties across the South of the Borough which have not yet been determined with 13 applications for houses, 0 applications for a mixture of both flats and houses and only 6 applications for flats.
Suburban Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document SPD2
Following Labour’s removal from power in Croydon in May, the new Conservative administration has been delivering on their planning promises. The hated Suburban Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document SPD2, a developers’ charter, has now been scrapped. Planning decisions are now being properly made after careful examination, instead of simply being waved through by Labour Councillors with no proper thought.
CVRA Local Planning Application Website
As previously mentioned, the above-mentioned application is live and covers all roads and post codes in your Association’s area, it’s available for use by all CVRA residents free of charge. The application is updated weekly with all new and currently outstanding planning application information, as well as having multiple search capability of planning history. Also, if you want to register your email address within the application, you’ll be advised weekly when the Planning Table has been updated, together with a direct link into the application.
The application can be accessed directly from the following web link:
http://www.localplanningapps.co.uk/croydon/cvra/anupdate/planningtable.html
Planning Area A
The Croft, 3 Binfield Road
This planning application is for the demolition of the existing bungalow and replacing it with a pair of semi-detached houses, one a 5 bedroom the other a 3 bedroom, which was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 10th July 2020. In September 2021 a Section 73 notice was submitted to change the approved plans by removing the inset balconies and amending the forecourt layout and other minor changes, this was approved on the 6th July2022. There are currently hoardings up on the site.
The Croft, 3 Binfield Road
This new planning application is an alternative to the above-mentioned application which is already approved but no work has commenced and is for a full width rear extension (19.2 Metres) by 5.3 metres in depth. The proposal has been approved on the 28th February 2023 under General Permitted Development. There are currently hoardings up on the site.
15A Campden Road
This planning application is for the development of the land beside 15 Campden Road which has been vacant for a good number of years, although in March 2017 there was a planning approval granted for 5 flats which has now lapsed but did establish a presumption of development on the site. The new proposal is also for 5 flats with 2 parking spaces and as expected this Planning Application was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 7th August 2020. A couple of discharge notices were approved back in the 4th August 2021 and 21st January 2022 but nothing has happened since and in all probability approvals will have lapsed.
20 Campden Road
This new Planning Application has been submitted to change this 8 bedroom property into an HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) for up to 16 persons.
78A Coombe Road
This new Planning Application has been submitted by Flexistay Ltd to demolish the existing house and replace it with a 3 storey Aparthotel of 12 units. Further the recent refused planning application at the next door property at 78 Coombe Road to demolish the house and replace it with a building of 8 flats submitted by Oasis CP Projects Ltd, this company shares at least one common directorship with Flexistay Ltd. There have been 35 local resident objections to this application with your Residents’ Association also objecting and one of our local Councillors has raised a referral. The good news is that this application was refused by Development Management under its delegated authority on the 22nd October 2024. However, with both this site and the next door property at 78 Coombe Road where there’s related ownership, I’m sure we have not heard the last of further planning applications on these sites.
80 Croham Road
This planning application is for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of two buildings, one of 6 flats with 3 parking bays the other for a terrace of 3 houses with 3 parking bays which by virtue of its bulk, mass and poor design will create an overbearing incompatible development. This follows the withdrawal of an earlier application for 2 buildings comprising of a total of 9 flats. The owner of this property has already paid for Planning Pre-Application advice from the Planning Department. This application went before the Planning Committee on the 22nd April 2021 at which it was approved. There’re Whitgift Educational Foundation Restrictive Covenants on this property. Also, the site has gone up for sale with Foxtons for £2.5 million. I’ve drafted letters for the surrounding residents to send to both the owner of 80 Croham Road and Foxtons, these letters put both parties on notice of the Restrictive Covenants, also reserving the right to take necessary further measures to protect their interests in this connection. Subsequently the property was then being marketed with Appleton Estates at the reduced figure of £1.8 million and was initially under offer. Again, a number of nearby residents have sent similar letters to those mentioned earlier. Property listed again with Appleton Estates at a reduced figure of £1.6 million and is now under offer. This latest offer appears to have fallen through as the site is now being listed for sale with Connect UK at a reduced guide price of £1.2 million and is now subsequently Sold STC. The agent on behalf of Alim Properties submitted a Construction Logistics Plan (CLP) on the 16th May 2022 which has been subsequently been refused under the Planning Dept delegated authority as it was not satisfactory in a number of aspects. Since the refusal of the CLP on 7th July 2022 nothing has happened with regard to the site and the original approval will have now lapsed.
Melville Avenue, Old Palace of John Whitgift School
In last year’s newsletter we relayed our discussion with Helen Gough Director of Property at the Whitgift Foundation (WF). We discussed our concerns and pointed out the 1905 covenants on the site restricting extensive development. She said our concerns would be passed onto any potential buyers of the site and she was sure they would want to get in contact in due course.
The site has been bought by Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. The organisation behind the Neasden Temple and will be used as a Sunday school. The new owners wanted a large site so the children attending the Sunday School can play outside as well as learn. This use is consistent with its classification as a site for learning. There is no intention to use the site for regular worship.
The Fellowship said there would be about 100 children each Sunday at the Sunday school and about the same number of parents. The Fellowship also run a school in Chigwell. This will be their second school in London. They are looking for the site to be used by the local community on a non-commercial basis as much as possible with the caveat that any visitors must respect their views and practices relating to alcohol and diet. This seems very reasonable. Overall we were very happy with their initial plans. There will be a follow up meeting in about six months when they have progressed their plans. The Fellowship pointed out that the Whitgift Foundation spent a considerable amount of time vetting them during the sale process. We thank the Foundation for finding such suitable new owners.
Maypole Special School in the Limes Building in Melville Avenue
The Maypole School organisation run schools for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. They have signed a 20 year lease on The Limes site in Melville Avenue from the Hindu Fellowship. They have been busy renovating the site to start teaching in the Autumn. This will be their third school and will teach about 50 pupils.
We have met with representatives from the school and are again happy with our new neighbours. We are especially happy for the buildings at The Limes to have been cleaned up and so look cared for again.
7 Spencer Road
This new planning application is for a proposed building of a single storey 3 bedroom property on this site which is a back garden development being behind 7 and 9 Spencer Road which is currently used as the off road parking area for these residents. This proposal will create an incompatible cramped development that fails to integrate into the neighbourhood causing significate harm to the appearance of the site, the street scene and the surrounding area, particularly because of its unacceptable flat roof design.
The proposed development of most of the rear parking area behind 7 and 9 Spencer Road will result in the loss of up to 8 of the off road parking spaces for the current residents of the 10 flats at 7 and 9 Spencer Road, having the effect of forcing up to 8 more vehicles to park on the already very limited controlled parking spaces on Spencer Road, which is totally unacceptable.
There have been 46 resident Objections plus a Councillor Referral.
Planning Area B
Coombe Lane, Royal Russell School
This new planning application is for the demolition of existing Junior School with the erection of replacement Junior School including Multi-Use Games Area, sports pitch, play and landscaped areas, access and plant, and other associated works. This application was approved 20th June 2024. Work has now commenced on the site.
5 Croham Valley Road
Planning approval was granted on the 27th February 2020 at the Planning Committee meeting for the demolition of the existing house and the erection two blocks of 3 houses with accommodation in the roof spaces. One block will front on to Croham Valley Road being 4 floors 4 bedroom houses with only 2 parking bays, the other block will front on to Ballards Farm Road being 3 floors 3 bedroom houses with 2 parking bays. Construction of the shell of the terrace of houses fronting on to Ballards Farm Road is complete with the terrace of house fronting on to Croham Valley Road having the shell of the houses almost completed for a 3 storey building.
At the same time Sterling Rose continue to try to change the design of the 3 houses fronting Croham Valley Road from 4 floors to 3 floor houses and a changed layout and to what we consider to be a better appearance but have not been successful in obtaining approval up to now and are on their third attempt of trying to get the change approved as a non material change which of course it isn’t.
The latest supposed non material change was refused on the 17th September 2021 which will give Sterling Rose a major problem as they’ve completed construction is based upon a 3 storey building of a different design and not the 4 storey building that was approved. This has the potential to be another 54 Arkwright Road situation – see later entry under CARA. As a result of asking Planning Enforcement to look into this, they’ve advised that Sterling Rose will now have to submit a new planning application to try to get retrospective planning approval, which has now been submitted under a Section 73a Minor Material Amendment (Retrospective), plus they also want to remove the planning approval condition of yellow lines on this part of Croham Valley Road as they’re only permitted to have two parking spaces. There have been 26 objections including the CVRA and a Councillor referral to this retrospective application.
This retrospective planning application has on the 14th August 2025 been entered in the official register as Not Determined.
Land R/O 35 and 37 Croham Valley Road – Fronting on to Ballards Rise
The above-mentioned outline planning application that’s currently pending approval; however, the developer Silverleaf has also submitted another new outline planning application on the very same site for the erection of 2 two storey buildings with accommodation in the roof spaces comprising of a total of 4 large semi-detached houses with the provision of 6 parking spaces. The alternative proposal is almost the same size as the one for 8 flats and will add 15 bedrooms and potentially 24 persons, the same objection reasons apply equally to this alternative new application. More details as regards the Restrictive Covenants are in the prior item above.
This application went before the Planning Sub-Committee on the 11th August 2022 and was refused permission with three Labour Councillors voting in favour of approval and three Conservative Councillors voting against approval with the Conservative Chair using his Casting vote to refuse. I spoke as an Objector in person at the meeting on behalf of the CVRA and the local residents, as did our ward Councillor Michael Neal. The developer Silverleaf has on the 28th October 2022 lodged an Appeal against refusal of the planning permission, which has subsequently been validated in December 2022; this appeal will now be decided upon by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol. The Appeal is now in progress. Unfortunately, the Appeal was allowed on the 23rd August 2023. However, on both the land at 35 and 37 Croham Valley Road there are the Walton Heath Land Company Limited Restrictive Covenants that restrict the land to not more than one dwellinghouse. The validity of the Walton Heath Land Company Limited Restrictive Covenants and the class of neighbours entitled to benefit from it was tested in the Court Case Whitgift Homes Ltd & Ors v Pauline Stocks & Ors where similar Restrictive Covenants was upheld which legally prevented development on the land at 14 and 16 Ruffetts Close. The developer has now submitted on the 15th October 2024 an application for a Non-Material amendment to the original approval which for each the 4 semi-detached houses will increase the number of bedrooms in each house from 4 to 5, although the footprint of the houses will remain the same. This Non Material amendment was refused by the Planning Dept on the 30th October 2024. The developer has now submitted on the 18th November 2024 under a Variation of Condition 4 (Approved Drawings) to increase the number of bedrooms in each house from 4 to 5, although the footprint of the houses will remain the same. Subsequently this was approved on the 13th January 2025.
Nearby residents have been advised by Featherstone Homes Ltd the new owners of the site that work will be commencing on the 17th February 2025 to initially clear the site, although the CLP (Construction Logistics Plan) which the developer is calling a Construction Method Statement which was only submitted on the 21st February 2025 and is still pending approval but now approved. A number of other Discharge Condition Notices have submitted and approved. The site has been excavated out and prepared in readiness for construction. Construction is now well underway with walls mostly up to the top of the ground floors completed.
Croham Valley Road – Lower Part Where There’s Been All the Construction
Numerous residents have complained about blocking of the road with all the construction workers vehicles being parked on both sides of the road – some residents want double yellow line along the whole road, other have complained to our Councillors. Although all construction is complete there are now a good number of cars now parking on both sides of the road causing obstruction, particularly in the rush hour. This year there have been a number of serious accidents at this location which have been brought to the attention of the Council. However, we now understand that the Highways Dept do not consider it necessary to install yellow lines but they keep these decisions under review.
In spite of Michael Somers’s no longer being on the CVRA Committee he has continued to actively follow up on this issue, engaging with the Croydon East MP Natasha Iron who in turn has spoken with the Council such that there now seems to be some progress in getting the Highways Dept to reconsider installing single yellow lines from 7am to 7pm.
Planning Area C
Nothing to Report
Planning Other
Restrictive Covenants
The following properties have either planning approval but not yet developed or have pending planning applications that are awaiting decision or are being prepared for the submission of planning applications. All of these properties have Restrictive Covenants that restrict the sites to either only having one dwelling either detached or semi-detached and if enforced could potentially stop the sites being developed. However restrictive covenants are a complicated legal business and can only be enforced by properties under the Touch and Concern rule (nearby but don’t have to necessarily physically adjoin) unless it can be proved that it was a Building Scheme. Also taking legal action to enforce covenants can be expensive plus there’s always the risk that a developer might appeal the decision which would further add to the costs. A potential cheaper alternative is to take out an Injunction to enforce the Restrictive Covenant. Meanwhile we’re letting affected residents write to the developers making them aware of the Restrictive Covenants, reserving the right taking further action if they’re going to proceed with the development in the hope they will walk away. Jeremy has investigated using the legal cover one has with many household insurance policies, the indication from his insurer was positive but one would need to be certain if one was to go down this route:
- 80 Croham Road Whitgift Educational Foundation
- 35 Croham Valley Road The Walton Heath Land Company Ltd
- 37 Croham Valley Road The Walton Heath Land Company Ltd
- Melville Avenue, Old Palace of John Whitgift School Donald Young
Croydon Alliance of Residents’ Associations (CARA)
The Croydon Alliance of Residents’ Associations (CARA) was set up three years ago and have held a number of Zoom Meetings which has been very useful with sharing information with a number of interesting things coming out these meetings and subsequent email exchanges across the Group, the latest exchanges being mainly about Purley Pool / Purley Leisure Centre redevelopment.
Croydon Local Plan
The Croydon Local Plan which was originally due to be adopted in 2022 has become a June 2024 Revision to the Croydon Local Plan 2018.
