Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Illegal Building Work at 51 Effingham?
51 Effingham was only sold in the last week or two, but already Jewsons have turned up with massive deliveries of building materials including, most worryingly, large amounts of breeze block. Also, the person who bought the house didn't look like it was family moving in.
There are no applications for planning permission for this property either.
Does anyone have any information on who has bought the house and what the building work is that they are about to do?
Tags for Forum Posts: conversion, effingham, hmo, housing, illegal
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Schmitz on
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I've asked council officers to investigate.
David Schmitz
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Harringay Ward
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on
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Thanks David. I may be jumping the gun a bit but I've been struggling for years now to get Planning Enforcement to take pre-emptive action against the illegal conversions in our street before they are finished (by getting an injunction to halt works until an application for planning permission has been made). In my experience, they prefer not to take any risks, and to sit back waiting for the work to finish before deciding whether to take any action. The end result can be years of misery for residents because of the cumbersome planning laws in this country which mean rapacious developers can string out the enforcement action for years, all the while raking in their illicit rental. See for example my thread on HOL re 69 Effingham (over 3 years since I first complained, two appeals lost by the owner before the Planning Inspectorate, still not reconverted back to a single house). The key to stopping the destruction of the Ladder is making sure these building works are stopped immediately until the owners are forced to apply for planning permission - but sadly Planning Enforcement seem to have neither the desire nor perhaps the resources to actually take pre-emptive action when it's really needed.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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As you know, Bushy, I entirely agree. Except that I suggest there's another better "key" to unlock this problem. But which would depend on amending the law and not just tightening-up local systems.
My suggested "key" is to make the financial penalties for owners/developers who flout the law very significantly greater than the profit they are likely to make by sticking-up two fingers to local councils. It would also mean that enforcement action could be funded by denying them the proceeds of their unlawful behaviour. Rather than be a constant drain on shrinking local council budgets.
I wonder if there's anyone around Ed Miliband ready to listen to the "squeezed middle" on this issue?
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Permalink Reply by TTTH on
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Agree. Similar experience with Haringey Council re. my neighbour. I hope you get a good outcome and quickly
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I'm racking my brains to remember Bushy, but I recall very recently reading of another London Council that acts in these circumstances on the balance of probability. It seems like Haringey's chosen tactic of waiting till the work is completed is a policy choice rather than a legal requirement - or the other council is very progressive/proactive. I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to dig out the info. I can't for the life of me remember where I heard it though... a TV programme. perhaps?
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I also recall reading on here recently (but darned if I can find it now) a press release from Haringey in an enforcement action from a few years ago in which they actually successfully took pre-emptive action before the works were complete and boasted in their press release about how they wouldn't hesitate to get injunctions again in the future to nip illegal developments in the bud. Sadly this commitment has been more honoured in the breach in my experience.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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Here's the discussion you want: http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/newham-s-approach-to-ba...
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