The Royal Borough of Greenwich Local Planning Committee met on 25 November 2025, and approved plans for two properties to become houses in multiple occupation (HMO). Permission was granted for the change of use of 47 Arbroath Road, Eltham, to a five-bedroom HMO, and for 32 Roydene Road, Plumstead, to become a six-bedroom HMO, subject to conditions.

Planning Decisions

47 Arbroath Road, Eltham

The committee approved the application for the change of use of 47 Arbroath Road, Eltham, from a single-family dwelling to a five-bedroom HMO, including the construction of a single-storey rear extension.

This application had previously been refused, and an appeal dismissed. The planning officer, Neil Willey, explained that the previous application (25/0645/F) was refused due to the unacceptable nature of a part one, part two-storey rear extension. The inspector did not, however, find any issue with the proposed HMO use itself.

Councillor Charlie Davis, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, spoke against the application on behalf of local residents, raising concerns about the loss of family homes, the impact on the nearby Progress Estate Conservation Area¹, and parking pressures in the area, which has a low public transport accessibility level (PTAL) score of 1B.

Jan McDade, a resident of 45 Arbroath Road, raised concerns about the impact of the proposed works on the party wall, and the potential for noise disturbance. She also mentioned a letter from KIR party wall surveyors indicating the owner's intention to apply for a loft extension.

Martin Bolton, a resident of 25 Ross Way, objected to the size of the extension, arguing that it would protrude into the Progress Estate and set a precedent for other homeowners to build larger extensions.

Janet Ingram, a resident of 44 Arbroath Road, expressed concerns about parking congestion and the lack of consideration for elderly residents.

Joel Stern, representing the applicant, SAM Planning Services, stated that the current proposal addressed the concerns raised in the previous appeal decision.

Councillor Patricia Greenwell raised concerns about the impact on neighbours' amenity, parking issues, and overdevelopment. Councillor Ann-Marie Cousins expressed concerns about the overall impact on the area and the lack of community engagement from developers.

Despite these objections, several councillors spoke in favour of the application, arguing that there were no valid planning grounds to refuse it, and that HMOs provide a vital form of housing.

The committee approved the application, subject to conditions relating to bin storage, cycle storage, and an operational management plan.

Conditions

The approval was subject to the conditions outlined in appendix 2 of the report, with amendments to conditions 4 and 7, and the addition of conditions 8 and 9:

• Condition 4 required details of secure and dry cycle storage facilities.
• Condition 7 required details of secure refuse storage units.
• Condition 8 required an operational management plan, including details of building checks and a 24-hour emergency telephone number for residents.
• Condition 9 related to a revised lower overall height for the single-storey rear extension.

32 Roydene Road, Plumstead

The committee approved the application for the change of use of 32 Roydene Road, Plumstead, from a single-family dwelling to a six-bedroom HMO, including a loft conversion, rear dormer, single-storey rear extension, and cycle and refuse storage.

Saira Alam, planning officer, introduced the item, noting that the application was before the committee due to the number of objections received.

Councillor Ann-Marie Cousins raised concerns about electric bike charging arrangements and missing pages in the report. Councillor Patricia Greenwell questioned the location of bike storage and the number of bathrooms.

Joel Stern, representing the applicant, confirmed that there would be a safe charger for electric bikes outside, sheltered by storage.

Councillor Patricia Greenwell noted the number of HMOs already in the area.

The committee approved the application, subject to conditions, including a management plan and EV charging point.

Conditions

The approval was subject to the conditions set out in appendix 2 of the report, with the addition of a condition 10, requiring an operational management plan.