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Letter

Applications

September 2020: Planning Update from David Rutherford

Planning

Intensification of Croham Valley Road

The latest proposed development at 8 CVR (9 Flats), together with the currently pending planning application at number 3 CVR (7 Flats), plus the recently approved applications at numbers 5 CVR (2 Blocks of 3 Terrace Houses), 6 CVR (9 Flats) and the land R/O 31-33 CVR (8 Flats) not to mention the almost completed development at number 10 CVR (8 Flats), plus there’s a potential development of the Land to the R/O 4 CVR which together with the house is owned by the Croham Hurst Golf Club.
Croham Valley Road is not an intensification zone but you would definitely think it was based the afore-mentioned. I’ve emailed Chris Philp MP about this over intensification of Croham Valley Road.
Croydon Residents’ Associations Group Response to Cllr Paul Scott’s Article in Your Croydon:
https://insidecroydon.com/2020/07/17/residents-associations-angrily-reject-scotts-concrete-plans/

Article by Cllr Paul Scott in Your Croydon – news from the Council:
https://news.croydon.gov.uk/borough-reaches-milestone-in-long-term-housing-plan/

Planning Area A

The Croft, 3 Binfield Road
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This new planning application is for the demolition of the existing bungalow and replacing it with a pair of semi detached houses one 5 bedroom the other 3 bedroom. It’s my opinion that the new owner of this property who has not lived in the property has bought it solely with the intension of developing the site and following the planning pre-application advice there’s a reasonable likelihood that approval will be granted. New updated documents for this application were submitted in July 2020, well after the expiry of the consultation period. This application was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 10th July 2020. Construction work has not yet commenced.
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15 Campden Road
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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 is still currently valid; this approval has established a presumption of development on the site. The new proposal is also for 5 flats with 2 parking spaces. Construction work has not yet commenced.
As expected this Planning Application was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 7th August 2020. Construction work has not yet commenced.
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39 Castlemaine Avenue
New Planning Application for the change of use of an existing annexe to a separate residential dwelling.
This application was Refused under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 9th April 2020; however the applicant has lodged an Appeal.

50 Castlemaine Avenue
Planning approval was given in June 2019 for the demolition of the existing house and replacing it with a building of 9 flats and 4 parking spaces. Construction work has not yet commenced.

51 Castlemaine Avenue
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New Planning Application for a Single Storey Front Extension, part Single and part Two-Storey Side Extension, Single Storey Rear Extension, Two Rear Dormer Roof Extensions, Front Rooflights and External Alterations.
This application was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 10th August 2020.
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Coombe Wood School
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Due to virus related delays the completion of the permanent buildings will be delayed again. It is expected that the work will be completed early in 2021. To help speed up the work the staff and pupils will relocate the empty St Andrews School for the Autumn 2020 and Spring 2021 terms.

The School have published their “Overspill Parking” plans for events such as parent’s evenings. The publication of a plan was a condition imposed upon the School by Croydon Planning Committee at the time of granting of planning permission.

The proposed solution for the school’s overspill parking is wholly inadequate. To meet this planning condition by just suspending the coach and drop off bays in their main car park will only increase capacity by 18 spaces, from 96 to 114 cars.

Special school events such as open days/evenings have been seen to bring 200+ cars into the area, causing traffic congestion in Melville Avenue and surrounding roads. Such traffic mayhem has already been witnessed by residents on previous open evenings with a high risk of accidents as parents rushed to find a parking place, often across kerbs and blocking driveways.

When the school reaches its planned capacity of 1680 pupils over 7 year groups, parents evenings for even one year (240 pupils) will result in up to 200+ cars. On such an evening, a number of the 114 spaces in the main car park will already have been taken by teaching staff, leaving very few available for events such as this and clearly insufficient to meet the demand.

There is plenty of space on the school site to establish a proper overspill car park, easily fed from the main one. It is the area which will be shortly vacated by the temporary school portakabins and is the obvious solution.

Whilst a cost implication is involved, it is small considering the £30M school build cost and would ensure the school has overspill parking capacity long term to match the visitor numbers for special events.

The Department of Education’s agents rejected this solution on the grounds of cost and shortage of time. Due to build delays, the school is now re-locating to another site until January 2021 or later so the time issue of completing such an overspill car park by September no longer applies.

We have asked the Council to reject the solution submitted by the Department for Education’s agents and instead insist the condition is met by creating a proper overspill car park on the site of the temporary buildings.
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38 Croham Park Avenue
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This planning application is for the retention of an existing outbuilding which is a self contained 1 bedroom single storey unit for ancillary use to the main dwelling.
This was Approved on the 10th September 2020.
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80 Croham Road
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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. We’re currently waiting for a date for this application to go before the Planning Committee, at which time David Rutherford will speak as an objector on behalf of the CVRA and the local resident objectors, as will hopefully one of our local Councillors.
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21 Melville Avenue
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The approved planning application is for the demolition of the existing property replacing it with a building of 7 flats with 6 parking bays. The existing bungalow has been demolished and the site cleared ready for construction.
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Land R/O 7 and 9 Spencer Road
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This new planning application is for the redevelopment of the existing 10 space rear car parking area behind 7 and 9 Spencer which is currently used by the residents of the 10 flats in these properties. It’s proposed to erect two semi detached 3 storey 3 bedroom houses with 1 parking space each.

The Planning application has been Withdrawn by the applicant.
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Planning Area B

Land R/O 128 and 126 Coombe Lane
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This new application is a planning permission in principle for the erection of 7 two bedroom mews houses in the land to the rear of 126 & 128 Coombe Lane. This type of application only provides very limited information and even if this was to obtain approval any development of the site would still be subject to either a Full or Outline Planning Application which would follow the normal planning approval process.

This application was Approved under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 15th July 2020.
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55 Crest Road
Planning approval was given in September 2019 for the erection of a 4 bedroom detached 2 storey house in the rear garden of 55 Crest Road fronting on to Croham Valley Road. Construction work has not yet commenced.

Intensification of Croham Valley Road
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The latest proposed development at 8 CVR (9 Flats), together with the currently pending planning application at number 3 CVR (7 Flats), plus the recently approved applications at numbers 5 CVR (2 Blocks of 3 Terrace Houses), 6 CVR (9 Flats) and the land R/O 31-33 CVR (8 Flats) not to mention the recently completed development at number 10 CVR (8 Flats), plus there’s a potential development of the Land to the R/O 4 CVR which together with the house is owned by the Croham Hurst Golf Club.

Croham Valley Road is not an intensification zone but you would definitely think it was based the afore-mentioned. I’ve emailed Chris Philp MP about this over intensification of Croham Valley Road.
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3 Croham Valley Road
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This planning application submitted by Cobalt Construction for the demolition of the existing detached house and the erection of a five storey block of 7 flats with two storeys fronting Ballards Farm Road and with three basement levels going all the way down from Ballards Farm Road to Croham Valley Road plus 7 parking bays, this will add 14 bedrooms and potentially 24 persons. This is a massive over development of the site and a complete eyesore which is totally out of character with all the surrounding area. The developer has already paid for Planning Pre-Application advice from the Planning Department. We’re currently waiting for a date for this application to go before the Planning Committee, at which time David Rutherford will speak as an objector on behalf of the CVRA and the local resident objectors, as will one of our local Councillors.
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Land R/O 4 Croham Valley Road
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I’ve been made aware by one of our CVRA residents that the Croham Hurst Golf Club are holding an EGM to propose (among other items) immediately selling the land at the rear of 4 Croham Valley Road to the developer Turnbull with the further intention to sell the house at 4 CVR later stage. They are seeking Members’ approval of the following:

• A deal they have negotiated with Turnbull regarding the land behind 4 CVR that gives the Club an initial £3K and a further £329K once planning permission has been granted.
• Now understand that the EGM has taken place and approved the sale of part of the land behind 4 CVR to Turnbull.
• Then subsequently putting the house at 4 CVR on the market within the next 12-18 months.

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5 Croham Valley Road
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Planning approval was granted on the 27 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 floor 4 bedroom houses with only 2 parking bays, the other block will front on to Ballards Farm Road being 3 floor 3 bedroom houses with 2 parking bays. Construction work has not yet commenced.

Further the developer Sterling Rose has also put the site up for sale with Acorn Commercial for £1300K but that they would consider offers to sell as two separate plots. A resident who spoke to Acorn about this was advised that they still think it’s Sterling Rose’s intention to develop the site themselves but that SR were just “testing the waters”.
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6 Croham Valley Road
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Planning approval was granted on the 27th February 2020 at the Planning Committee meeting for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of a two storey building comprising of 9 flats with accommodation in the roof space plus 8 parking bays. Demolition of the existing house commenced within one week of the approval with foundation / footings work now underway.
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8 Croham Valley Road
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This new planning application is for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of a three storey building comprising of 9 flats plus with 9 parking bays. This is a massive overdevelopment of the site due to its bulk, mass and dominating appearance that will create an overbearing incompatible building that fails to integrate into the neighbourhood, causing significant harm to the appearance of the site, the surrounding area and the street scene which will add 21 bedrooms and potentially 30 persons. A good number of local residents and the CVRA will be objecting to this application plus one of our local Councillors has raised a referral. Again the developer has already paid for Planning Pre-Application advice from the Planning Department. The developer has already paid for Planning Pre-Application advice from the Planning Department. We’re currently waiting for a date for this application to go before the Planning Committee, at which time David Rutherford will speak as an objector on behalf of the CVRA and the local resident objectors, as will one of our local Councillors.
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10 Croham Valley Road
The construction of this block of 8 flats appears to have been completed.

Land R/O 31-33 Croham Valley Road – Fronting on to Ballards Rise
Planning approval was granted on the 27th February 2020 at the Planning Committee meeting for the development of the land to the rear of 31/33 Croham Valley Road for the erection of 2 two storey detached buildings with accommodation within the roof space comprising of in total 8 flats. Construction work has not yet commenced.

219 Farley Road
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This new planning application, although just outside our area is for the demolition of the existing house and the erection of a four storey building comprising of 9 flats with only 5 parking bays. The proposed development by virtue of its bulk, mass and excessive height versus the neighbouring properties will create an overbearing incompatible building that fails to integrate into the neighbourhood, causing significant harm to the appearance of the site, the surrounding area and the street scene plus it has a very unattractive, irregular shape and a contemporary style. Clearly the lack of off road parking provision is another concern where the developer is suggesting that vehicles could be parked some 200+ metres away on the non bus route part of Croham Valley Road and also Ruffetts Close. The developer has already paid for Planning Pre-Application advice from the Planning Department. The CVRA has objected plus there have been 99 resident objections and a Councillor referral. We’re currently waiting for a date for this application to go before the Planning Committee, at which time David Rutherford will speak as an objector on behalf of the CVRA and the local resident objectors, as will one of our local Councillors.
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Planning Area C

148 Ballards Way
Following the approval in December 2018 for the demolition of the bungalow and the erection of a building of 8 flats, the construction these flats is now well advanced and up to the roof level.

11 Chapel View
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This new planning application for the erection of a large two storey extension which has balconies at the first and second floor levels as well as adding back the rear conservatory to the proposed extension. Further this house sits well above number 13 (Christine Holland) due to the steep incline of the road and the house has previously had two extensions, one for the erection of single/two storey side/rear extension, the other for a conservatory and in addition there’s a loft conversion. The original house had 3 bedrooms but currently now has 7 bedrooms and the new proposal is for the house to be extended and reconfigured to have 9 bedrooms which is a massive over development of this house, which is totally unacceptable.

This application was Refused planning approval under Planning Dept delegated authority on the 15th July 2020.
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29 The Ruffetts
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This planning application is for the erection of a large rear extension projecting out 6 metres from the rear wall of the original house with a height of 3 metres. Because of the incline of the road this property site well above 31 The Ruffetts and has an overbearing effect both on 31 and 27 The Ruffetts. This application was refused permission on the 10th July 2020 which can be summarised as follows:

The proposed works would be detrimental to the amenities of the occupiers of 27 and 31 The Ruffetts by reason of the height, depth and massing of the proposed extension resulting in an unacceptable loss of outlook and an overbearing impact on the rear habitable rooms and rear amenity space.

Prior to the afore-mentioned refusal being decided upon, a new planning application has been submitted by the applicant on the 6th July 2020 which is almost identical other than some cosmetic changes. Because of the incline of the road this property sits well above 31 The Ruffetts and has an overbearing effect both on 31 and to a lesser extent 27 The Ruffetts. As expected the latest Planning Application has been Refused under the Planning Dept delegated authority on the 14th August 2020.
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29 The Ruffetts
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Further another new planning application has just been submitted for this property being the fourth application this year, two of which are mentioned above having been Refused, the other being a Loft Extension which was Granted under a Certificate Lawful Use or Development. This latest application is for a Two Storey Front, Side and Rear Extension plus a Single Storey Rear Extension, these are large extensions and will have an even greater overbearing effect particularly on number 31 as number 29 sits well above due to the incline of the road. The CVRA will be raising an objection.
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Planning Other
Government White Paper August 2020 – Planning for the Future.

Below is the link to this document:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future

Croydon Local Plan Review
Due to be adopted in 2022, the review will update the vision and strategy for Croydon’s growth up to 2039 and set out how the council will continue to deliver much-needed new homes, jobs and community facilities.
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The first stage of the review was to gain feedback from the community with a period of consultation referred to as the Issues and Options consultation. This took place between November 2019 and January 2020 and is now closed.

All representations made during the consultation period are now being reviewed and will be used by the Spatial Plan to shape the Local Plan Review Preferred Option.

The Preferred Option will be published during a second period of consultation late 2020. At this time a summary of what we heard during the Issues and Options consultation and the subsequent decisions that have been actioned will also be published.

The Local Plan Review will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination early in 2021 and adopted in early 2022.

Further information on the status of the review will be uploaded on to the Council site as the programme continues.
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Croydon – Local Plan Partial Review – Call for Evidence on Local Green Spaces
Only site within our area that was under this category is The Ruffet, which many residents provided information back to the Council on why this site should have some level of protection to safeguard it from potential development. We’re still waiting to hear if this has been successful.

Croydon Planning – Some Changes Detected
Since the start of 2019 across the South of the Borough 30 planning applications for the demolition of detached properties to be replaced with up to 9 flats or a mixture a of both flats and houses have been refused planning approval under the Council’s delegated authority or at Planning Committee meetings and another 22 similar planning applications have been withdrawn, presumably in many case because of advice from the Planning Department that they were not going to obtain approval.

There continues to be many more planning applications from developers for the conversion of larger houses into flats and at the same time adding extensions to these houses, this is also happening to a much lesser extent even with semi detached houses. Also there has been a marked increase in the number of applications for the conversion of properties into Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO’S)

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