Month: November 2020

We have suffered another tranche of planning applications recently, the majority of which the WURA committee consider to be over-development for the size of the plot and a level of intensification which will impact road safety, the environment and the amenity of the immediate surroundings. WURA will continue to submit objection letters for these types of proposals.

We still await responses to letters written to Heather Cheesbrough (July 2020) and  to Nicola Townsend (Sept 2020) the new Head of Development. Hopefully they are having some effect on  planning decisions as refusals are beginning to emerge even if they have not made a formal acknowledgement to either of them. The recent application for 37 Welcomes Road and an earlier one for 52 Welcomes Road were refused and the reasons stated included over-massing, scale and highway safety.

The current situation is as follows:

Already approved (54 dwellings):

• No. 10 WR – 8 houses
• No. 32 WR – 9 flats
• No. 36 WR – initially 7, now 8 flats
• No. 42 WR – 7 flats plus 2 houses
• No. 56 WR – 9 flats
• No. 57 WR – 7 flats
• No. 35 UR – 6 houses
• No. 2 KC – 4 units (under PIP)
• No. 8 KC – 4 houses

Applications pending (49 dwellings):

• No. 60 WR – 7 flats plus 2 houses
• No. 52 WR – 9 flats (new proposal following previous refusal)
• No. 67 WR – 8 flats
• No. 88 WR – 9 flats (outline)
• No. 90 WR – 3 houses
• No. 1 KC – 15 flats + 4 houses

This represents a 10-fold increase in dwellings, the vast majority with inadequate parking capacity.

More information about each of these can be viewed on the Planning Application Archive page.

There have been many problems on the road recently caused by deliveries at the various construction sites and complaints about various aspects of the developments.  It appears that some changes have been made in the last few days as a result of the representations made to the developers and hopefully this means that things will improve from now on.  If not, there is a process which people can follow to make any grievance known to the right people.

Every developer must agree with Croydon Council a plan covering logistics and management of the construction site.  If this is not part of their original application then the decision to “grant” by the Council will require it as a “condition”. The report will then be submitted for approval as a “Discharge of Conditions” planning application.  The team responsible for ensuring compliance with such plans is the Enforcement Team within the Council. 

The plans for each development can be viewing on the Croydon Planning Application portal. The plans for the current developments can also be viewed here:

• 32 Welcomes Road
• 36 Welcomes Road
• 57 Welcomes Road

Emails with specific details of any non-compliant actions should be sent to planningenforcement@croydon.gov.uk and copied to the planning department at development.management@croydon.gov.uk .  Ensure you include the following information as part of the email:

• the address of the construction site
• the date and time of the non-compliant action (and ideally photos attached as well)
• your own name and address
• ideally the planning application number of the development
• the section of CLP which is not being adhered to

Please also copy WURA so that the number of issues being raised can be collated.  Feel free to also copy other parties such as Heather Cheesborough and Nicola Townsend as well as our councillors.

Note that if an infringement is repeated you are within your rights to submit a complaint each day the non-compliance takes place.

If members feel particularly strongly, as pointed out by others, it is an offence to block a public highway. In such cases, if appropriate road closure signage has not been provided for a planned blockage, the Council should be informed.  If a parked vehicle is causing the blockage the police can issue a parking ticket or remove and impound the car (in extremis).  You could notify the police of such road safety issues.

For future reference, WURA will obtain the equivalent documentation for any new developments as they prepare to start and will make it available to members.