This meeting was about deciding whether to approve applications to develop 5 different sites in the borough, and whether to confirm Tree Preservation Orders relating to 2 sites in the borough. It also included for discussion a series of reports on recent decisions made by the committee and officers, and on the outcome of recent appeals and breaches of planning regulations. It is important to note that this article only summarises what was scheduled to be discussed, as detailed in the meeting's report pack. We do not know what was actually said during the meeting, whether any decisions were made, or what those decisions were.

Planning Applications

2024/0389 Eastwood South Estate (Toland Square) Roehampton

This application concerns the details of layout, scale, appearance and landscaping following the grant of outline planning permission for the redevelopment of the estate in 2020 (2018/3593). It was recommended that the application be approved.

2024/1858 Ackroydon Community Centre Ackroydon Estate Montfort Place SW19 6QL

This is a hybrid application for the demolition of the existing community centre and erection of a part 4, part 5 storey building (plus basement level) for a new Community Centre (Use Class F2(b)) with 14 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) above (4 x 1-bed, 8 x 2-bed and 2 x 3-bed) and associated landscaping. It was recommended that the application be approved.

2023/3241 The Alders, Aldrington Road SW16 1TP

This application concerns the demolition of the existing detached house (Use Class C3), erection of two semi-detached three-storey houses (Use Class C3) with associated hard and soft landscaping, bin and cycle storage. It was recommended that the application be approved.

2024/1707 21 Rowena Crescent SW11 2PT

This application concerns the demolition of the existing two storey semi-detached house and the erection of a part three, part four-storey building comprising three, 3 bedroom dwellings. It was recommended that the application be approved.

2024/2056 Vision Point, 4 Yelverton Road SW11 3QG

This application concerns the details of layout, scale, appearance and landscaping (reserved matters) following outline planning permission 2021/4332 for demolition of the existing building and erection of a building ranging from 3 to 8 storeys (plus basement) to provide up to 44 residential units (Use Class C3), flexible commercial, business and service floorspace (Use Class E) at ground floor level, car and cycle parking, refuse and recycling storage and associated landscaping. It was recommended that the application be approved.

Tree Preservation Orders

TPO 491/2024 14 Earlsfield Road SW18 3DW

This relates to a TPO on one Norway Maple tree and one Raywood Ash tree in the front garden of the property, served in June 2024. The TPO was served after the applicant submitted application 2024/1448 which proposed to remove the trees, which are in the Wandsworth Common Conservation Area. The applicant objected to the TPO, stating that they may need to remove the trees as part of works to re-level the driveway at the property. It was recommended that the TPO be confirmed.

The Norway Maple and Raywood Ash trees were inspected by the Council’s Tree Officer who reported that they were healthy and in good condition and suitable to be covered by a Tree Preservation Order.

TPO 492/2024 10 Parkstead Road SW18 5HS

This relates to a TPO on a Eucalyptus tree in the rear garden of the property, served in June 2024. The TPO was served after neighbours submitted two applications (2024/1504 and 2024/1655) to substantially prune the tree, which is in the Dover House Estate Conservation Area. The owners of a neighbouring property objected to the TPO. It was recommended that the TPO be confirmed.

An objection to the Order was received from the owners of a neighbouring house on the grounds of height and the extent of the crown of the tree, and the shallow roots of this species making the tree more vulnerable in high winds.

Decisions

The report pack contains a report (24-330 Decisions) on the number of recent decisions on planning applications. The report notes that between 14 August and 11 September 2024, 177 decisions were made by officers under delegated authority, of which 22 (12.4%) were refusals. During the same period, 1 application was approved by the Planning Applications Committee. Between 12 September and 16 October 2024, 222 decisions were made by officers under delegated authority, of which 25 (11.26%) were refusals. During the same period, 5 applications were decided by the Planning Applications Committee, of which 1 (20%) was a refusal. Between 17 October and 12 November 2024, 153 decisions were made by officers under delegated authority, of which 15 (9.8%) were refusals.

Closure of Investigation Files

The report pack contains a report on the closure of investigation files (Complaints Closed by closure reason - September 2024) on complaints alleging a breach of planning control during September 2024. It also contains a report (Complaints Closed by closure reason - Oct 2024) on the closure of investigation files on complaints alleging a breach of planning control during October 2024. The report on October 2024 notes that:

Additional investigations where enforcement actions have been complied-with and resolved are currently not showing owing to an IT error. These will be reported to committee separately once the issue has been resolved.

Closed Appeals

The report pack contains a report (24-332 Appeal Decisions with Header 09.09.2024-06.11.2024) on appeals closed between 9 September and 6 November 2024. In total 16 appeals were decided, 2 were allowed, and 14 were dismissed. 1 appeal was turned away/withdrawn before being decided. The allowed appeals related to:

• 2023/2008 Sylva Court 79 Putney Hill SW15 3NX – the erection of a new detached two-storey 3-bedroom dwelling house (Use Class C3).
• 2021/5780 206-212 Garratt Lane SW18 4EB – demolition of the existing single-storey retail building and erection of a part 3, part 4-storey mixed use building comprising light industrial use (Class E)¹ on the lower ground and residential dwellings (Class C3) on the ground and upper floors (7 x 2-bedroom and 2 x 1-bedroom flats). One appeal (2023/4517 150a-170 Penwith Road and 2-8 Thornsett Road SW18 4QA) relating to a variation of conditions for a development on land at 150a-170 Penwith Road and 2-8 Thornsett Road SW18 4QA was turned away without being decided. The report pack states that this was because of a late submission.