The Planning Committee B of Lewisham Council met on 26 November 2024 and approved two planning applications: one for the demolition of a house and the construction of a four-storey block of seven flats in Lowther Hill, and one for the part-retrospective conversion and extension of a building on New Cross Road to a 14 room House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).

60 Lowther Hill, SE23 1PY - DC/24/136606

The application for 60 Lowther Hill was for full planning permission for The demolition of the existing residential house and the construction of a 4-storey building plus roof space to provide 7 self-contained flats, together with associated landscaping, refuse storage and bike storage.

The application site is a two-storey detached dwelling in the Hopcroft Neighbourhood Forum, which is designated as an Area of Special Local Character (ASLC). The site is also subject to a Small Houses in Multiple Occupancy Article 4 Direction¹, which means that planning permission is required for the conversion of a dwelling house to a small HMO.

There have been a number of previously refused applications on the site, the most recent of which (DC/20/118403) was refused by the Council and then dismissed at appeal due to concerns about the impact of the development on neighbour amenity.

In the current application the Applicant, Mr and Mrs Rose, have reduced the overall depth of the development and commissioned a new daylight/sunlight report which demonstrates that the previous neighbour amenity concerns have been overcome. The design of the building has also been amended following pre-application advice from Council Officers and in response to consultation with local residents. The applicant held a meeting with each of the Councillors for the ward and held meetings with all of the occupiers of the neighbouring properties. A letter drop and email correspondence was also undertaken.

The previously proposed flat roof design has been replaced with a pitched roof design. The Crofton Park and Honor Oak Neighbourhood Plan (the Hopcroft Plan), which was adopted in May 2022, states that new development should draw on the historic forms and appearance of the locality. The Committee was satisfied that the new design is appropriate in the context of the ASLC and the scale and height of the development is acceptable.

The application proposed the loss of the existing dwelling, which would be replaced with one three-bedroom flat and a mix of two and one-bedroom flats, including a three-bedroom duplex flat. The Committee noted that a family dwelling suitable for households including children is defined as consisting of three or more bedrooms with access to private amenity space.

The Committee was content that the development would deliver more than the minimum requirement of 11sqm of play space, and that the development would provide high-quality accommodation. The Committee was also satisfied that the access and parking arrangements were acceptable.

Councillor Muldoon proposed that the application be approved, and this was seconded by Councillor Penfold. The Committee voted unanimously to grant planning permission.

126 New Cross Road, London, SE14 5BA - DC/24/136844

The application for 126 New Cross Road was for part-retrospective planning permission for the alteration and conversion of the existing building, together with the construction of an extension at roof level to provide a 14 room HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) including the formation of internal courtyards, new timber shopfront and the demolition of the extension at the front and the installation of windows and roof lights to the front and rear.

The application site is a three-storey building in the Hatcham Conservation Area. The Applicant, Anthony Adler, was seeking permission to retain and extend an HMO at the site. The application was called in to the Committee by Councillor Luke Sorba, one of the Labour Councillors for the Telegraph Hill ward, who was concerned about the size and density of the proposed HMO.

The Committee heard from planning officers that the development would represent an increase in density compared to the previously approved scheme, with the number of rooms increasing from 11 to 14. However, the officers were content that this level of intensification was appropriate for a town centre location with excellent public transport links.

A number of objections had been raised with regard to the design of the roof extension, which as initially proposed was a bulky design that did not appear to be part of the roof. The applicant had amended the plans following advice from officers to create a traditional mansard style roof extension, which officers now considered to be acceptable.

The Committee was satisfied that the proposed development would not harm the character or appearance of the Hatcham Conservation Area, and that the living conditions of the neighbouring occupiers would be protected.

The Committee also noted that the site is in an Air Quality Management Area, but the Air Quality Assessment submitted with the application had concluded that there were no air quality issues associated with the proposed development.

Councillor Davis proposed that the application be approved, and this was seconded by Councillor Penfold. The Committee voted unanimously to grant planning permission.