Archived on 6/5/2022

Proposed Development: 72 Cranston [Refused]

NandP

14 Mar '21

We would like to let you know about a proposed development at 72 Cranston Road. The deadline for responding is Tuesday, 16 March so not much time!

The applicant is looking for planning permission to:

Split a family home into two flats
Extend the property by 8m into the back garden
Build a large, unconventional, 2 storey building in the back garden

Here is the link to the planning application:
https://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=_LEWIS_DCAPR_108227

We are one of the neighbouring properties and are concerned for the following reasons:

Conversion from a family home into 2 flats
Overdevelopment of the site
Impact of the outbuilding on properties on Cranston, Loxton, Colfe and Como roads.
Size of the extension into the garden
Alterations to the front elevation including two front doors
Car parking (it’s already an issue on this road)
Not being in character with the other homes in this terrace
Potential for it to be used as an unlicensed HMO
Use of the self-build exception

If you live within the area, please take a look at the planning documents and respond ASAP.

blushingsnail

15 Mar '21

What a bizarre proposal - split and extend a 3-bedroom house to create two flats and build a whacking great 2-storey annex in the garden to provide extra space for the ground floor flat, to make up for the space it lost by converting the house into two flats.

NandP

16 Mar '21

Seems strange alright!

ForestHull

25 May '21

After receiving a whopping 15 objections, and 1 comment in support, this application was robustly refused back in April for a number of reasons, the first four of which are:

The proposed conversion of a property considered suitable for family housing into self-contained flats is unacceptable as it would result in the loss of a valuable housing resource that contributes to the delivery of housing choice in Lewisham, contrary to the Council’s aim to build mixed, balanced and sustainable communities stated in Policy D1 ‘London’s form, character and capacity for growth’, Policy D3 ‘Optimising site capacity through the design-led approach of the London Plan (March 2021)’; Policy 1 ‘Housing provision, mix and affordability’ of the Core Strategy (June 2011), and DM Policy 3: ‘Conversion of a single family house to two or more dwellings’ of the Development Management Local Plan (November 2014)

The proposed development would fail to provide housing that is of acceptable quality and standard for future occupiers by reason of not meeting minimum gross internal floor area standards and built in storage; creating poor outlook and privacy for the two smaller bedrooms at ground floor; and failing to provide private outdoor amenity space for the upper floor flat contrary to Paragraph 127 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2019); Policy D6 'Housing quality and standards of the London Plan (2021); Core Strategy (June 2011) Policy 15 ‘High quality design for Lewisham’; DM Policy 32 ‘Housing design, layout, and space standards’ of the Development Management Local Plan (November 2014)

The proposed single storey rear extension and the outbuilding by reason of their design, siting, scale and mass, would appear as incongruous and unsightly form of development that would fail to appear subservient or in character to the host building and would result in overdevelopment of the site through the loss of more than 50% of the rear garden and the proposed additional front door, is an incongruous feature that would harm the appearance of the host dwelling and wider streetscene, being contrary to Paragraph 127 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2019); Policy D1 ‘London’s form, character and capacity for growth’, Policy D3 'Optimising site capacity through the design-led approach of the London Plan (March 2021); Policy 15 ‘High quality design for Lewisham’ of the adopted Core Strategy (June 2011), DM Policies 31 ‘Alterations and extensions to existing buildings including residential extensions’ of the Development Management Local Plan (November 2014) and the Alterations and Extensions SPD (April 2019).

The proposal fails to provide the four dry, secure and step free accessible cycle storage spaces required, being contrary to contrary to Policy T5 Cycling of the London Plan (March 2021) and Policy 14 Sustainable movement and transport of the Core Strategy (June 2011)

Fran_487

25 May '21

And rightly so. Am I reading those plans correctly… two bedrooms with no windows? I think that renders them unable to claim them as bedrooms at all?

“I’ll just show you to your cell… I mean, room.”

ForestHull

25 May '21

I think you are right - there’s a lightwell, but that looks to be on the other side of a door for the ground floor bedroom at least. Also two showers in the ground floor 3 bedroom flat - but no bathroom?

starman

25 May '21

No windows are all the rage. The Britannia Hotel in Manchester charges £150 per night for a room with no windows.

Fran_487

25 May '21

A super-quick and otherwise uninformed Google search claims the following:

Whether you’re taking in lodgers or letting the whole property, it can be tempting to market a windowless room as a bedroom to make a little extra money. However, without a suitable window in the bedroom, it cannot be a legal dwelling.

This means that you cannot legally use this room as a “spare room” to offer to lodgers, nor are you legally allowed to include it in the bedroom count while advertising the property. If the windowless room is in addition to two other bedrooms in the property, you can market it as “2 bedroom + studio” or “2 bedroom + office” but you cannot market it as being a 3 bedroom property.

ForestHull

3 Jun '21

You’re not wrong!

No indication of expected price per night if this gets the go ahead though