Issue - meetings

Report HPR2021/005

At the Renewal, Recreation and Housing Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 16 December 2020, Members requested consideration be given to the making of a non-immediate Article 4 Direction to withdraw permitted development (PD) rights which allowed blocks of flats to extend upwards by up to two storeys to provide new residential units. The Direction would cover a discrete area which fell within the local view of the eastern skyline of the Ravensbourne Valley.

This report examined whether there was justification for the Direction and set out the approach for making the Direction if Members agreed.

Visiting Ward Member Councillor Will Harmer reported that he and the other Ward Members fully supported the making of an Article 4 Direction. There was a great history to this specific area and removal of the PDRs would provide further protection. Expansion outside of the Town Centre was not appropriate and Councillor Harmer urged Members to endorse the making of an Article 4 Direction.

The Chairman agreed with Councillor Harmer. Townsend Court already intruded on the skyline and a further two buildings were beginning to do the same. This would become more noticeable if further storeys were added to the buildings.

RESOLVED that:-

1)  the report be noted;

2)  the making of a ‘non-immediate’ Article 4 Direction (covering the area shown in Appendix 1 of the report) to withdraw the following permitted development rights granted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) (“the GPDO”), Schedule 2 be endorsed:-

·  Part 20, Class A

·  Part 20, Class AA

·  Part 20, Class AD

3)  it be noted that, pending agreement to ‘make’ the Article 4 Direction, that the Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing would be asked to authorise the making of a non-immediate Direction, which would come into force 12 months from the day on which it was made, if the Direction was subsequently confirmed following public representations.