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Local Planning Committee - Monday, 7th July, 2025 6.30 pm

July 7, 2025 View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)
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Summary

The Royal Greenwich Local Planning Committee met to discuss several planning applications, including a change of use for a property on Donaldson Road, an amendment to operational hours for a shop on Greenwich South Street, and the construction of new homes on Blackheath Road and Sparrows Lane. The committee approved the construction of an outbuilding at 62 Corner Green, the change of use of 21 Donaldson Road to a HMO1, and the construction of a pair of semi-detached homes on land to the rear of 41-45 Blackheath Road. A decision on the amendment to condition 17, relating to hours of opening, at 123 Greenwich South Street was deferred. The erection of five, four bedroom dwellings to the rear of 5-25 Sparrows Lane was also deferred for a site visit.

Matters Arising from the Agenda

  • Item 4: 62 Corner Green, Blackheath

    The committee approved the construction of an outbuilding in the rear garden of 62 Corner Green with an air conditioning unit, having deferred the item from a previous meeting. The applicant agreed to map the roots of a nearby London plane tree using ground-penetrating radar before starting work, and confirmed the toilet drainage system would connect to the existing house system.

  • Item 8: Site Rear of 5-25 Sparrows Lane, Eltham

    A decision on the erection of five, four-bedroom dwellings to the rear of 5-25 Sparrows Lane was deferred for a site visit.

  • Item 5: 21 Donaldson Road, Plumstead

    The committee granted planning permission for the change of use of 21 Donaldson Road from a single-family dwelling to a five-bed HMO, along with associated building works. This decision came despite 46 objections from neighbours.

    Objectors raised concerns about noise, parking, antisocial behaviour, and the impact on the area's character. One speaker, Oscar Hall, a local resident, argued that the proposal took no consideration of the steep hill and made cycling impractical, despite the application suggesting that residents would cycle. Ian Gomez, another objector, raised concerns about antisocial behaviour associated with HMOs, referencing a Lewisham Council report[^2].

    [^2]: Lewisham Council is a local authority in south London.

    Councillor Raja Zeeshan voiced strong support for the residents' objections, citing concerns about over-concentration of HMOs, parking pressure, waste management, and the impact on family housing stock.

    Luke McBrackney, the planning consultant at Excel Planning, representing the applicant, argued that the proposal was policy-compliant, provided high-quality accommodation, and had been thoroughly assessed by officers. He offered a comprehensive management plan with a 24-hour contact line and expressed willingness to work with officers to adjust the location of bins.

    During questioning, councillors discussed the potential for noise transmission between units, parking availability, and management of the HMO. Councillor Dave Sullivan expressed concern about the potential for noise from toilets flushing through walls affecting neighbours. Councillor Pat Greenwell raised concerns about the low PTAL rating[^3] of the area and the steep hill making cycling difficult.

    [^3]: PTAL stands for Public Transport Accessibility Level, a measure used to assess the accessibility of a location to public transport.

    The committee added conditions to the approval, including a comprehensive management plan, consultation with neighbours on bin placement, and a reduction in the height of the rear extension to lessen the impact on the neighbouring property.

    Councillor Greenwell summarised the conditions:

    ...the cycle parking to be consulted with neighbours, bins and height and the height of the extension and the management plan with the 24 hour access number for the residents

    The committee voted to approve the application with the added conditions.

  • Item 6: 123 Greenwich South Street

    The committee deferred a decision regarding an application to amend condition 17 relating to the hours of opening at 123 Greenwich South Street. The applicant, representing Asda, sought to extend Sunday and bank holiday opening hours to match weekday hours (6am to 11pm).

    Councillor Aidan Smith objected, arguing that the proposal was an attempt by a large business to bully local residents and that the extended hours would create noise disturbance. Jonathan Wilson, a local resident, expressed anger that Asda had advertised the proposed hours despite the council previously voting against them.

    Sophie Moore, representing Asda, argued that the extended hours would provide genuine local benefits, such as more convenient access to essential goods and support for local employment.

    Councillor Sullivan questioned the need for the extended hours, given that the store was not yet open and there was no measurement of impact on neighbouring properties.

    The committee decided to defer the item to allow for a review of the video recording of the previous meeting and to obtain data on expected footfall during the proposed extended hours.

  • Item 7: Land to the Rear of 41-45 Blackheath Road

    The committee approved the construction of a pair of semi-detached homes to the rear of 41-45 Blackheath Road, despite concerns about overlooking, loss of light, and the potential impact on neighbouring properties.

    Councillor Smith objected, arguing that the design did not fit in with the surrounding area and that the basement development could cause harm to neighbouring listed buildings. Dawn Harbison, a resident of 1 Egerton Drive, expressed concerns about the lack of foundations in her building and the potential for movement to affect the property. Jane Downing, a resident of Muse Cottage, raised concerns about loss of light and privacy.

    Amro Chaya, a local resident, spoke in support of the application, arguing that the development would improve the area and address issues such as fly-tipping.

    Luke McBrackney, representing the applicant, stated that the design had been confirmed by design conservation officers and that the concerns about the basement were being addressed with a condition for a further basement impact assessment.

    The committee approved the application, noting the need to balance the concerns of existing residents with the need for new housing in the borough.


  1. A house in multiple occupation (HMO) is a property rented out by at least 3 people who are not from 1 'household' (for example a family) but share facilities like the bathroom and kitchen. 

Attendees

Profile image for CouncillorGary Dillon
CouncillorGary Dillon  Chair of Planning •  Labour and Co-operative •  Charlton Village and Riverside
Profile image for CouncillorDave Sullivan
CouncillorDave Sullivan  Labour and Co-operative •  Kidbrooke Village and Sutcliffe
Profile image for CouncillorPeter Baker
CouncillorPeter Baker  Labour and Co-operative •  Abbey Wood
Profile image for CouncillorSam Littlewood
CouncillorSam Littlewood  Labour and Co-operative •  Woolwich Arsenal
Profile image for CouncillorAsli Mohammed
CouncillorAsli Mohammed  Labour and Co-operative •  Woolwich Dockyard
Profile image for CouncillorJahdia Spencer
CouncillorJahdia Spencer  Labour •  West Thamesmead
Profile image for CouncillorJo van den Broek
CouncillorJo van den Broek  Labour and Co-operative •  Charlton Village and Riverside
Profile image for CouncillorRaja Zeeshan
CouncillorRaja Zeeshan  Labour •  Shooters Hill
Profile image for CouncillorPatricia Greenwell
CouncillorPatricia Greenwell  Conservative •  Eltham Town and Avery Hill
Victoria Geoghegan
Alex Smith
Neil Willey
Brendan Meade
Saira Alam
Courtney Muir

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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