Hi,
our neighbour has applied for planning permission to convert a 5 bed family home into 3 flats (2x 3 bed and 1 studio). He's currently working on the property and is currently building a 20m2 extension plus a 60m2 outbuilding under permitted development. The 3 flats do not include the outbuilding, but we've got the suspicion that he will find a way of renting it out.
We've had loads of issues with the landlord in the past. The house was overoccupied (17 people sharing with antisocial behaviour), issues with landlord's building works (unsafe removal of asbestos, putting his drainage on our land repeatedly until we got an injunction from the court, building site left unsecured etc etc) however he always a kind of managed to 'pull a fast one'.
We're in a conservation area and a family protection area. Our road (Summerhill Rd) is a historically renown road. The landlord argues that the house looks 'tired' and needs renovation, but in fact if looks far worse since the current landlord bought it (2 smashed windows that have been unsecured for ages, forecourt looks utterly disgusting sprewn with rubbish and building materials).
The landlord argues that by putting in a 'family unit' on the ground floor he fulfills the Family Protection Area requirement. Does anyone have experience with this? And what the minimum requirements are in regards to space? We couldn't find any clear guidance on the Haringey website. The 'Family Unit' contains 2 8m2 bedrooms and one double room. The bathroom is tiny - about 4m2 incl toilet.
The landlord also points out that only 12% of our road are houses in multiple occupancy and the council's target is to keep it under 20% (according to council tax records), so our road would be well under. In fact we've had loads of building of small flats recently, not just in our road but also behind us on Dorset Road. Is there any way we could check this (apart from counting)?
And would be occupier of the family unit with access to the garden be able to use the outbuilding to sleep in? It was created as a 'gym', but considering that the owner went through a lot of effort to put in water supply, the sheer size of it and the layout very much lets us think it has been built for residential use. We know he's not allowed to let it out separately, but letting it in conjunction with a flat might be a way around this.
We very much appreciate any advice how to best tackle this. Obviously we'll get as many neighbours together as possible to object.
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Hi, thanks. I saw above on the Haringey website. I think the landlord is trying to 'downplay' the impact, e.g. he indicates in the application that there will be sufficient space for 3 cars and 5 bikes and obviously the bins and I've got no idea how this shall work.
The permitted development has already been granted and the works on that are soon to be finished.
I empathise and, although I don't work in this area of law I have tapped into my legal resource database. Per the other response there is likely an additional overlay because of the conservation aspect. But here are the grounds for objecting under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990. "LPA" means local planning authority, ie the council.
I think some of the grounds for objection below could be argued in your case.
The house is down at the West Green rd end of Sumerhill road?
There a several rogue landlords and developers that know that Haringey is an 'easy touch' and have been 'preying on our neighbourhoods for some time now. There has no doubt been council 'ineptitude' and other stuff too! They get around they ignore the law and regulations by blatantly ignoring these until they can get retroactive planning permission.
It's one of my theories as to why the place had escaped gentrification to date really.
So you need to arm yourself with as much amunition as possible by getting councillors on board and as many neighbours as possible. Haringey Council has refused even permitted development in the past if a neighbour has objected on the right grounds. But the council is faced with such serious cuts that its has resorted to rationing its efforts.
You need to object using material grounds i.e specific national and local planning policy . Go through similar applications on the Council planning portal to see how these are applied by Haringey's planning officials and what grounds the Council has refused or accepted similar schemes and use the same arguments to strongly object. Get your councillors on board if they are so inclined. And as many neighbours as possible to make individual objections - NOT ONE GROUPED ONE as this will count as one objection.
And follow it up.
Thanks, the links are very helpful. Yes, you're right - it's at the bottom end.
We will speak to our neighbours re separate objections.
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