Large extension to flats on Dunstans Grove

[Rowanofski]

I don't expect this post will receive universal support here, but I was very concerned to learn of the Council's absolutely minimal notice provided for a major extension to the Flats on the corner of Dunstans Road / Dunstans Grove.

There was only one very small A4 notification attached to a lamp post some 20 metres away from the building itself and not in plain sight for the people it will most directly impact. They have only sent notice to 2 properties outside of the flats themselves. All of the directly neighbouring properties I have spoken with this evening have expressed significant concern to the size of the extension they have applied for and I wanted to make any others in the direct vicinity aware of the plans.

To view the full details, you need to visit www.southwark.gov.uk/planningregister and input the Reference 15/AP/5181

The deadline is this Thursday 4th Feb so if anyone would like to comment and object, please do so URGENTLY!

Personally speaking, my main objections relate to the sheer scale of the plans and the impact they will have on the immediate area. This is not a fully composed formal set by any means (it's late and I've got a headache from all the council planning jargon I've been swamped in!)...

1. Parking is already limited for residents and visitors (to park, local business etc). Increased number of residents will obviously worsen the situation. Removing or reducing the parking bay will also mean any turning traffic will have to reverse out onto busy Dunstans Road - dangerous!

2. Obstruction of sunlight on nearby properties.

3. Reduction of privacy on nearby properties.

4. Current refuse situation is already regularly overflowing. Side extension will be where the bins are now. Application states "provision of waste" has been accounted for but doesn't state how. Decreased capacity with increased residency does not seem to make any sense.

5. Noise disturbance from open balcony in the Grove.

6. Dunstans Grove is a quiet cul-de-sac full of families with young children who are playing out in the road - increased traffic is a danger.

This list is just a start of potential concerns for those in the immediate vicinity.

As per my opening line, I fully understand some people will have the opinion that we live in a City and should just get on with life, but my main cause for posting here is to highlight this to any local neighbours who inevitably will not have seen the (likely deliberate) very poor notification of these major works.

If anyone wants to DM me for additional info about this, please do so. I also intend to collect a hyper-local petition (within a 100m radius or so) for anyone who is opposed. If this does not effect you but you know someone it will effect, PLEASE do bring to their urgent attention!

One final request for anyone who does choose to object; please state in your comments that you would like this to go to a full committee and that you would like to represent your own views to the committee in person. From what I am told, this does not mean you HAVE to attend yourself, but it does mean the case is perhaps less likely to be swept under the Council's rug of acceptance by one individual planning officer without due consideration.

Thanks for reading! :-)

...and for not trolling ;-) (Wishful thinking I know!)

[edhistory]

"They have only sent notice to 2 properties outside of the flats themselves. All of the directly neighbouring properties"

This is the "nearest adjacent neighbour" policy introduced around April 2015.

This is one reason why we need an East Dulwich Society planning sub-committee.

John Kennedy

[ratty]

Housing crisis trumps planning / residents' concerns? - discuss

[Rowanofski]

Definitely a great discussion to have, ratty... So great I'd say it was worthy of its own thread in its own right! ;-p

Back to topic though, thanks for clarifying that notification policy John. Seems like they have been extremely tight with their interpretation of that. I spoke with a number of residents immediately opposite and one which is technically also next door but received nothing from the council on this.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi please email me your concerns about this development and I will liaise with my colleagues about calling it in to committee.

Renata

[Rowanofski]

Thanks Renata for getting back to me on this. I have sent you an email with my detailed and more structured comments regarding these plans.

Anyone who would like to add to the significant objections that have gathered already since yesterday, would be much appreciated.

The plans to make such an out of character extension of such a large scale in such a quiet cul-de-sac, seem really poorly thought out.

I have been really impressed with the level of support gained in less than 24 hours on this. Thanks to all on that front - hopefully they will all be given proper consideration by the planning officers involved.

[Renata Hamvas]

The Peckham Rye Ward Councillors have called this application in to be heard by Committee.

Renata

[wb80]

Hi Renata, if that is the case and the planning is approved in lieu of a committee hearing, that is disappointing. If residents feel strongly enough about the issue, and with your support, there is still some hope of the decision being over-turned.

I do think this should have been given special consideration given this is happening at the entrance to a cul-de-sac and is an area dominated by families (Goodrich school was the most over subscribed intake int the borough for 2015/16).

My fears are that increased pressure on the cul-de-sac will cause access issues (thinking refuse collection and emergency access as well as residents parking) which may overspill to congestion issues on Dunstans Road. Both problematic and potentially dangerous.

Of course those in closest proximity are concerned about the sheer scale (compared to existing housing) and the usuaual negative impacts on light, noise and being overlooked... All very valid and distressing when it's your back garden or vicinity that faces the intrusion.

There has been a strong response with short notice. I think most think notification was not fair or appropriate, meaning any opposition has been very rushed.

Thank you for your support.

[edhistory]

edhistory Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "They have only sent notice to 2 properties

> outside of the flats themselves. All of the

> directly neighbouring properties"

>

> This is the "nearest adjacent neighbour" policy

> introduced around April 2015.

>

> This is one reason why we need an East Dulwich

> Society planning sub-committee.

>

> John Kennedy

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/a_to_z/service/674/planning_-_consultation

Found it in the depths of the Southwark site.

I presume Ms Hamvas either voted for this diminution or missed it.

John K

[Rowanofski]

Thanks John, that is very interesting indeed.

So, to directly quote their service outline of how they give it publicity...

1) by listing all applications received on the planning register on the website

2) by sending a neighbour consultation letter to the occupiers of those properties immediately adjoining the application site and others who are felt may be directly affected by the development

3) by publishing a notice in the local press or Southwark News

4) by the display of notices on or near to the application site

The 1st and 3rd points would rely on people continuously and proactively seeking out developments in their area. Not sure how realistic that is.

Their 2nd bullet point claiming they notify "others who are felt maybe directly affected by the deveopment" has been interpreted scandalously in my opinion. To think that properties directly opposite and indeed beside (even though separated by a road) will not be affected by a proposal of this scale is ridiculous. Considering the fact that Quarry Court sits at the entrance to a very small cul-de-sac, it will clearly have a major impact on everyone in the Grove also.

On their final claim of publicity - "the display of notices" - this was not plural and the single flyer they did post was highly inconspicuous.

It all just seems very much like they were hoping to get this one through on the sly. Not sure why that would surprise me!

Whilst I am grateful for our councillors bringing this to committee (who I really hope have the community's interests at heart and not the interests of an out-of-town property developer), I'm still quite gobsmacked by the Planning Officers' outright disregard and ignorance of the 32+ objections that were raised in less than 48 hours.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi John, the national planning policy was revised in the Town and Planning Act 2015. Consulation was done in accordance with that and it's the national standard.

Hi Wb80 as the Peckham Rye Ward councillors have called it into committee it won't be decided under delegated powers by the planning officer. He is aware of the number of objections.

Renata

[sarah-marie]

hi there

Today i received a letter from the planning division advising me that an appeal is going ahead against the council's decision refusing planning permission for the development... how can this be- after the council became involved etc how now can the planning officer decide! !?? just as i thought i could relax and think of the flats as my home again!!

have others received the letter or just us in the flats- says can add comments by the 27/2/2017

appeal ref number- APP/A5840/W/16/3164939

I just hope lots of people again comment etc so we will all be able to stay in our home here! and the development does not go ahead and also upset the nearby residents!!

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Sarah-Marie,

I'm sorry to hear that they have appealed. It is important that you and other residents respond to this. It will not be a Southwark planning officer, but one from the Planning Inspectorate (yes one person making the decision). Unfortunately the council's decision can be overturned.

Renata

[Rowanofski]

Thanks for posting this update Sarah-Marie.

It is really disappointing indeed, especially so that the notification comes NINE weeks after the appeal deadline closed. I really thought it was case closed. Sadly, I already queried this and was told they did register it in time but it wasn't uploaded until now due to a backlog at the inspectorate.

As Renata says, I think it is really important we respond to the appeal again, but that is proving difficult just now since nobody has made the grounds of their appeal available to us yet. That in itself must surely be breaching the inspectorate guidelines given the appeal is underway and we have such a short window to respond?

Anyway, I am chasing on getting sight of this so will share here as soon as I get any luck.

If Renata is able to get access to this, I'd be most grateful.

Rowan

[ianr]

The documents received by Southwark are at http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk:8190/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=_STHWR_DCAPR_9564164. At "View associated documents" see the Appeal Form of 12/12/2016 for a list of documents (Statement of Case, and supporting documents) submitted, and the Start Letter of 30/1/2017, sent by the Planning Inspectorate to Southwark, for the procedural timetable. You can see that the Inspectorate will have access to all comments previously submitted (bar any that commenters choose now to remove), and that there's a deadline of 2 March for submission of any additional ones.

The Planning Inspectorate web page for the appeal is at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?caseid=3164939, where there's also a timetable. I don't know whether the fact that the submission deadlines for both submission of the appellant's Statement of Case and of other representations are the same ( 2 March) means that the Statement of Case isn't made public before then.

[Whoop]

The issue seems to be that Southwark Council have set themselves a ridiculous goal of building 11,000 new homes and the only way they are going to get anywhere close to achieving this is by building on any bit of land they can find regardless of any disruption or negative impact it will have upon the existing residents and community.

Now I am all for ensuring that everyone has a home regardless of their background, income etc but what I don't understand is why councils are being forced to build on any scrap of inappropriate land they can find, when I drive through Battersea (which I appreciate isn't in Southwark)and see massive private developments being built on a huge scale. If this land is so perfect for development and on such a huge scale, why is none of it being set aside for council housing schemes instead of for providing luxury accommodation for foreign investors, most of whom will leave said properties empty for many years and then sell them to make a tidy profit further exasperating the London property market???!!!!

[Rowanofski]

Thanks Ian. I tried those URLs. Unfortunately neither link provides any detail as to why they are specifically appealing the council's rejection of planning permission, only that they are appealing.

The Appeal Form gives a long list of documents provided to Southwark but none of those are provided on either site. Having also reread the Start Letter however (the inspectorate notifying Southwark), that does state that Southwark have until 2nd Feb to make all appeal documents available to the public, so a slim hope this may be uploaded today.

If not, we still don't know the grounds of their appeal and are losing precious time to respond. I will chase the planning officer today, but once again would be most grateful if Renata is also able to speak with them to ensure this is made public ASAP.

[ianr]

I see from the www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-appeals-procedural-guide that the 2 March submission date for the statement of case is in fact that for the one from the council. So definitely the appellant's statement is the major thing awaited. I don't know if there's anything fresh in his other documents or whether they are just copies from the original application.

The guide www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-appeals-dealt-with-by-written-representations-taking-part may also be useful to anyone thinking of taking any action. The letter from Southwark will probably have referred to it too.

I did look into the timeliness of the appeal submission (decision date 8/12/16, appeal form received 8/12/16), but the wording of the regulation which I take to be relevant is "serving on him, within the time limit. ... The time limit ... is six months from ... the date of the notice of the decision".

> have others received the letter or just us in the flats- says can add comments by the 27/2/2017

What mode of submission, and submission to whom, does Southwark say the 27/2 deadline applies to? I hope it's not at odds with the dates stated by the PI themselves: Start Date 26 January; Interested party representations deadline 2 March (ie 5 weeks later).

[Rowanofski]

Thanks again Ian,

I did query the date given by Southwark with the PI and they confirmed your concerns - the letter is at odds with the PI date and 2nd March is the official deadline. The PI deadline of 2nd March is the real one here. That said, I would encourage any representations sooner than later.

As for the appellants's statement and supporting documents, they really are the essential missing pieces right now. I chased the planning officer (Anthony Roberts) again and he assured me they would be uploaded by today. Annoying that this comes a week after the original start date.

Rowan

[Rowanofski]

So, the grounds of appeal has finally been made available. I have not yet had a chance to fully digest, but attach this here.

An initial scan seems that they have drawn reference to a Parking Survey which reported there is more than ample parking space for the area. A neighbour who looked into this at the time, found that they conducted their survey to include a large stretch of Peckham Rye (i.e. alongside Piermont Green) which is never parked upon, since it would be dangerous to do so.

My other initial impression is that they refer to amended plans, but again, these have not been placed on Southwark's website, so hard to contest. I will ask again to make sure that ALL documents are uploaded.

I will be looking to set up a meeting next week to discuss this case in person with anyone who has an interest, so please PM me if you would like to join us.

Thanks,

Rowan

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Rowan, Sarah-Marie and Ian.

I have tried to contact Anthony Roberts today and left him a message. I have asked for clarification on the submission deadline and about the documents.

Renata

[Rowanofski]

For anyone who has an interest in this matter, a small group of us will be meeting at the Herne Tavern tomorrow from 8:30pm.

Hope to see as many there as possible to figure out the best course of action. All input greatly appreciated.

Rowan

[Renata Hamvas]

Apologies, I can't attend as I already have a meeting booked in for Tomorrow evening.

Renata

[Renata Hamvas]

All the documents are now on the website. They can be viewed here>

http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk:8190/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=_STHWR_DCAPR_9564164

Renata

[Renata Hamvas]

I've put in my submission.

Renata