Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
PLANNING APPLICATION FOR 4 FLATS AT 41 UMFREVILLE ROAD
PLANNING APPLICATION FOR 4 FLATS AT 41 UMFREVILLE ROAD
The owners of the above house, who recent applied for planning application to create a self-contained studio in the basement of the house, has now applied for a certificate of lawfulness to use the house as 4 self-contained flats.
It seems that he claims that he has been using the house as 4 self-contained flats for more than 4 years and therefore he should be entitled to continue doing this.
You can object or support his application.
When I bought my house last year 41 Umfreville Rd had only one gas meter, and all windows and net curtains where identical. I believe it was a single house. He has been doing building work in this property since before the Summer.
You can express your views and submit any evidence (e.g. photos, documents, complaints etc) to the Council on the following link:
http://www.planningservices.haringey.gov.uk/portal/servlets/Applica...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Cogan Jameson on
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Two of my friends lived in flat 4 at 41 Umfreville road for most of those four years. One is a teacher and one works freelance for MORI, and as far as I know they never had any problems with their neighbours or landlord. In fact, my friend Jamie told me he particularly liked the landlord as he hadn't put the rent up at all in that time.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Alexander on
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That's for flagging this up. I'll speak to Ian of the LCSP to see if they can offer any further advice and also make some further enquiries at the council.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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If a house has been used as four flats; and this has been done for four years or more that would establish this as lawful use. So the issue is not supporting or objecting to a planning application; but a matter of establishing the factual proof.
This issue came up several years ago and agreement was reached with the Planning Service for all such applications to be met by requests for evidence - with a standard list which included, for example, utility bills and Council Tax records. The aim was to separate: (1) genuine applications from (2) several such applications which were found to be fraudulent. (E.g. use of fake bills; fake rental agreements.)
Cogan Jameson's friends' information appears to confirm that this fell into the first group.
However, from the papers available online through the Planning Portal it would appear that the improvements and tightening-up of the system that we achieved may no longer be in operation. I may have got the wrong end of the stick, and maybe the evidence will shortly be added to the planning file. However, if it is not made publicly available, nor being requested then this would constitute a very serious step backward.
Before these files were made available online, the paper files were at least available for inspection without fee. So interested neighbours with personal knowledge could take a look.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by TTTH on
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Agree with Alan re. factual proof, which by the sounds of Cogan might be easy enough to do. If people complained in these years but Haringey didnt issue an Enforcement Notice, then Cert of Lawfulness is a likely outcome I believe.
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I got a bit confused with Jonny's comment here. I started by assuming he was referring to the Umfreville Road address. But perhaps he meant a case in the past.
Property owners have legal rights. And some do legitimately and honestly make these applications based - as far as they know - on accurate facts about the conversion and use of property over several years.
I'm not disputing the hard work of Ian Sygrave. And of other people on the Ladder and elsewhere who were "community detectives" over several months and believed we got the Council's procedures changed. The key improvement being the availability online of the documents used as evidence to support these applications. Plus easy free public access to information about which documents applicants are expected to produce.
And please note this is not about the Ladder roads or Harringay Ward. The issues apply to anyone dealing with Haringey's Planning Service about any applications for a Lawful Development Certificate.
In other words, the process should not be dependent on knowledge tucked away in hard-to-access Planning files; nor in the memories or filing systems of individuals. The process should be transparent and open to all. Principles which our secretive Council leadership pretends to support.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)