WALTHAM FOREST: Councillors break protocol to block flat conversion (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: Councillors break protocol to block flat conversion

7:15pm Monday 7th April 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

PLANNING councillors have taken a stand against flat conversions by opposing an application on unusual grounds, following criticism from a cabinet member.

Members turned down an application to turn two four-bedroom homes, at 28 and 30 Salisbury Road, Walthamstow, into four self-contained flats, on parking grounds.

Usually parking is not seen as a valid reason to turn a flat conversion down, but the committee, which is growing increasingly frustrated by the number of flat conversions in the borough, has decided to give it a go.

Citing council policy, Cllr Alan Siggers said: "This is a minor and a heavily-parked road, in circumstances like this we can say car parking is relevant."

Planning members are irked by the council's policies, which they say make it difficult to turn down applications to divide family-sized homes into flats.

Enterprise cabinet member Terry Wheeler said that a new Unitary Development Plan (UDP) will be updated, but not until 2011, and in the meantime an interim planning policy will be drawn up, but this has been delayed because of a lack of resources.

Cllr Wheeler has annoyed the planning committee by repeatedly calling in applications for them to consider.

Its members accuse Cllr Wheeler of knowing that they are unable to turn them down.

A fortnight ago Cllr Wheeler added fuel to the fire by saying the committee should do more to find reasons to reject conversions, even if the council loses a Planning Inspectorate appeal and has to pay out.

Cllr Milton Martin said: "We can't sit here as a committee, and say because our UDP is not written yet it can go through.

"It will open the floodgates and before we know it, most of our houses will have been chopped up."

Resident John Taylor said there is already pressure for parking in Salisbury Road.

He said: "Conversions would make the situation intolerable, I would think."

The committee voted overwhelmingly to reject the application.

• Print
• Email
• Share