This is the third of a series of regular bi-monthly updates on planning and development in the Copers Cope area.  Our aim is to provide you with a concise and informative snapshot of recent planning applications, decisions and appeals.

Major Residential Development on Worsley Bridge Road

A large-scale residential development is planned on Station Approach near to Lower Sydenham Railway Station at the northern end of Worsley Bridge Road.  The site, presently occupied by Footsies Social Club and playing fields, is on a wedge of open land situated between the New Beckenham / Lower Sydenham rail line and the Pool River, and is next to the old Dylon site where 220 flats are under currently construction.

In February last year an application (15/00701/FULL1) was made to demolish the existing single-storey buildings on the edge of the Footsies site and construct a building of varying height, from eight to twelve storeys, to provide 296 residential units, a new estate road, parking and cycling spaces and landscaping of land to be accessible by the public.  The scheme comprises of 148No. one-bedroom, 135No. two-bedroom and 13No. three-bedroom flats.

In September last year the application was refused and it is now the subject of an appeal.  The appeal hearing was held over several days starting on 24th May and the decision is expected in the next few weeks.

Following the refusal of this scheme, the developer submitted a second application (15/04759/FULL1) in November last year for a slightly smaller scheme comprising of a building of eight and nine  storeys containing 253 residential units, estate road, parking and landscaping.  This application, too, is now subject of an appeal.

Royce House, 56a Copers Cope Road 15/02068/OUT

An outline planning application made last year to demolish the existing houses at 56A and 56B and replace them with five, three-storey, four-bedroom houses was refused permission on the grounds that it constituted an over-development of the site.  Recently, the applicant’s appeal against the decision was dismissed.  The developer is presently working on an alternative scheme.

Land behind 56a Foxgrove Road 15/05329

An application made in last December for a 3-storey block of flats on land presently occupied by garages behind 56A Foxgrove Road has been refused planning permission. The proposal was for 6No. two-bedroom and 3No. three-bedroom flats, plus parking.  The plans indicate up to 16 trees being removed and the footprint of the new building extending right up to the root-protection zones of the the few mature trees being retained. The scheme was considered to constitute a cramped over development of the site, out of character and unsympathetic to the spatial qualities of surrounding development.  The scale and siting of the building would also have had adverse impact upon existing trees both within and outside the site which contribute significantly to the visual amenities of the area.

14 Southend Road 16/00267/FULL1

An application to convert the house at 14 Southend Road to seven flats, involving a four-storey side and rear extension to the existing house to create 2No. one-bedroom and 5No. two-bedroom apartments was refused in April.  The house is situated in the Southend Road Conservation Area and was built in the late 1840s

1A Wickham Road, Peach Design Printers 15/05100/FULL2

A second application for a change of use to the three-storey building from a printer’s office to a House of Multiple Occupation has been approved by the council and building work has now started.  The building will provide seven bedrooms (four of which have en-suite bathrooms) and shared dining and bathroom facilities. The first application for eight bedrooms was refused on the grounds of below-standard provision.

Nat West Sports Ground, Copers Cope Road 15/04801/FULL1

An application for a hand car-wash business on Copers Cope Road, situated on the strip of land between the Goals all-weather football pitches and the road, has been refused consent.  At the time of writing, reasons for the decision had not been published.

Beck House, 36A Copers Cope Road 16/02136/FULL1

An application has been submitted for the construction of a new, four-storey rear extension and an additional storey on top of the existing block of flats to create an additional 8No. two-bedroom and 1No. three-bedroom flats in connection with the existing 4No. two-bedroom and 1No. three bedroom flats which will be remodelled.

87A Bromley Road 16/02120/FULL1

An application has been made to demolish the existing two-storey house situated on the triangular plot of land between Bromley Road and Albermarle Road, close to Bishop Challoner School, and replace it with a part-three, part-four-storey block comprising 9No. two-bedroom flats.

Conifer House, 44 Southend Road 16/02179/FULL1

This empty, three-storey block of flats on Southend Road, opposite the Stumps Hill Lane bus stop, is the subject of an application to build an additional storey plus four-storey front and rear extensions to create 8No. flats in addition to the 10No. existing.  The new additions would comprise 1No. one-bedroom, 4No. two-bedroom and 3No. three-bedroom flats.  The existing 2No. one-bedroom, 6No. two-bedroom and 2No. three-bedroom flats would be remodelled.

213 Kings Hall Road 15/04458/OUT

Last year, two outline planning applications were made to develop the land to the rear of 213 Kings Hall Road including part of the side garden of 215.  The initial proposal was for 5No. detached four/five-bedroom houses and gardens.  This was refused by the Council on the grounds of overdevelopment of the site.  Later in the year, a second application was made reducing the number of houses to 3No. however this was subsequently refused also, for the same reason.  The applicant has since lodged an appeal against the latest decision.

3 Beckenham Road (above Barclays Bank) 16/02218/FULL1

In spring 2013, consent was granted for a scheme (13/00407) to build two additional floors for residential use on top of the two-storey Barclays Bank building opposite the cinema.  The consent expired on 11th April this year and the applicant has since submitted another application for a three-storey addition comprising of 2No. one-bedroom and 6No. two-bedroom flats, and a large, three-bedroom penthouse on the fifth floor.

CHANGE OF USE FROM COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL

Three years ago, the Government relaxed the planning laws to make it very easy to convert office premises to residential use.  Over this period, the majority of office space on Beckenham High Street, much of which was fully-let and in demand, has been given approval to be converted to flats.

The largest of these include St Brides’s House, now practically complete, Marqueen House, Ironstone House and Provident House on Burrell Row, and Kelsey House at Thornton’s Corner (recently subject of a second application, see above). As a result, many thousands of square feet of purpose-built office space has been lost and cannot be reclaimed.

Burnhill House, 50 Burnhill Road 16/02466/RESPA

One of the last remaining office buildings, 50 Burnhill Road, was also the subject of an application to convert it to flats last year.  The council refused to grant consent, on the grounds that the proposal had inadequate provision for car parking, and would cause problems with highway safety on such a narrow section of the road.  The subsequent appeal by the applicant appeal was dismissed earlier this year, however a new application, for the same scheme, has just been submitted with a legal agreement that the flats are to be ‘car-free’ dwellings.  It will be interesting to know if this kind of agreement has worked in reality elsewhere, particularly as Bromley has the the third highest number of car owners out of all the boroughs of Greater London.

Kelsey House, 77 High Street 16/02649/RESPA

Prior approval was granted last summer for the four storeys of office space above the Kelsey House Bar & Kitchen to be converted to sixteen flats, comprising of 8No. one-bedroom and 8No two-bedroom (4 person) flats.  A new application has recently been submitted to increase the number of flats to twenty, comprising of 8No. one-bedroom and 12No. two-bedroom (3 person) flats.

This is the second of a series of regular bi-monthly updates on planning and development in the Copers Cope area.  Our aim is to provide you with a concise and informative snapshot of recent planning applications, decisions and appeals.

Further Major Residential Development on Worsley Bridge Road

Another large-scale residential development is planned on Station Approach near to Lower Sydenham Railway Station at the northern end of Worsley Bridge Road.  The site, presently occupied by Footsies Social Club and playing fields, is on a wedge of open land situated between the New Beckenham / Lower Sydenham rail line and the Pool River, and is next to the old Dylon site where 220 flats are under currently construction.  

In February last year an application (15/00701/FULL1) was made to demolish the existing single-storey buildings on the edge of the Footsies site and construct a building of varying height, from eight to twelve storeys, to provide 296 residential units, a new estate road, parking and cycling spaces and landscaping of land to be accessible by the public.  The scheme comprises of 148No. one-bedroom, 135No. two-bedroom and 13No. three-bedroom flats.

In September last year the application was refused and it is now the subject of an appeal.  The appeal hearing is due to start on 24th May this year.

Following the refusal of this scheme, the developer submitted a second application (15/04759/FULL1) in November last year for a slightly smaller scheme comprising of a building of eight and nine  storeys containing 253 residential units, estate road, parking and landscaping.  This application is currently under consideration by LBB.

2 The Drive, off Beckenham High Street

The Planning Inspectorate last month upheld the Council’s enforcement action with regard to the various partially built extensions to the house, just off the High Street and just outside of the Conservation Area. The Inspectorate also dismissed the three appeals made by the owner and ordered him to pay the costs of the appeals.

The property has had a long planning history. In his report, the Planning Inspector noted that seventeen planning applications had been made over a period of fourteen years. Of these, five had been permitted though often not implemented in accordance with the consent. Of the refusals he had received, the owner had made five appeals, in addition to the three that were the subject of this latest inquiry.

Full details of the decision can be found here: 

61 The Avenue 15/02728/FULL6

Last year a proposal to demolish the existing house and replace it with two blocks of flats containing a total of 8 two-bedroom flats was refused consent.  The scheme has subsequently been dismissed at appeal.

Royce House, 56a Copers Cope Road 15/02068/OUT

An outline planning application made last year to demolish the existing houses at 56A and 56B and replace them with five, three-storey, four-bedroom houses was refused permission on the grounds that it constituted an over-development of the site.  The applicant has appealed against this decision and the hearing was due to take place on 22 March.  At the time of writing the decision was still to be announced.

Land behind 56a Foxgrove Road 15/05329

An application was made in December last year for a 3-storey block of flats on land presently occupied by garages behind 56A Foxgrove Road.  The proposal is for 6No. two-bedroom and 3No. three-bedroom flats, plus parking.  The plans indicate up to 16 trees being removed and the footprint of the new building extending right up to the root-protection zones of the the few mature trees being retained.  The council have yet to make their decision.

14 Southend Road 16/00267/FULL1

An application has just been submitted to convert the house at 14 Southend Road to seven flats.  The proposal includes a four-storey side and rear extension to the existing house to create 2No. one-bedroom and 4No. two-bedroom apartments.  The house is situated in the Southend Road Conservation Area and was built in the late 1840s

1A Wickham Road, Peach Design Printers 15/05100/FULL2

The second application for a change of use to the three-storey building from a printer’s office to a House of Multiple Occupation with seven bedrooms (four of which have en-suite bathrooms) and shared dining and bathroom facilities, after the first application for eight bedrooms was refused on the grounds of below-standard provision, is still under consideration by the Council.

96 Bromley Road 15/04782

The application to convert the vacant veterinary clinic premises, situated between Rituals hair salon and In2Pappadom on Bromley Road, to a take-away, was refused permission last week.  The reasons for the refusal had not been published at the time or writing, however there had been strong opposition to the proposal on a number of issues from local residents and groups.

Nat West Sports Ground, Copers Cope Road 15/04801/FULL1

An application has been made for a hand car-wash business on Copers Cope Road situated on the strip of land between the Goals all-weather football pitches and the road.  The application includes a low-level canopy for washing cars and a portakabin office.

Change of use from Commercial to Residential

Three years ago, the Government relaxed the planning laws to make it very easy to convert office premises to residential use.  Over this period, the majority of office space on Beckenham High Street, much of which was fully-let and in demand, has been given approval to be converted to flats.  

The largest of these include St Brides’s House, which is now nearing completion, Marqueen House, Ironstone House and Provident House on Burrell Row, and Kelsey House at Thornton’s Corner.  As a result, many thousands of square feet of purpose-built office space has been lost and cannot be reclaimed.  

However, one piece of good news in this regard is that the application to change the use of the offices at 50 Burnhill Road has just been dismissed at appeal.  

At the Plans Sub Committee meeting on  Thursday 4 February 2016 Council Officers will be requesting permission to undertake enforcement action on the untidy land adjacent to 39 Southend Road, Beckenham BR3 1 TR. This will be welcome news to local people that signed a petition to get the site cleaned up.  More information can be found at:

UNTIDY SITE – LAND ADJ 39 SOUTHEND ROAD, BECKENHAM, BR2 1SP

Church Motor Company has told CCARA that they are operating as usual and intend to stay in Beckenham, after losing the garage they have occupied for over eleven years.

Last autumn we reported in The Express that CMC, situated next to the Beckenham Methodist Church on Bromley Road, was set to close after the church, which owns the garage building, secured planning permission at appeal to change the use of the building from Light Industrial to Storage.

CMC have been unable to continue trading from the same building, however they have acquired a smaller building directly opposite while they look for alternative, permanent premises elsewhere in the Beckenham area.  They intend to retain an office here and establish a drop-off and collection point for their Beckenham customers.  Cars will be taken to CMC’s Bromley garage where work will be conducted before being returned to Beckenham for collection.

CMC’s telephone number 020 8650 7373 remains unchanged.

This is the first of a series of regular bi-monthly updates on planning and development in the Copers Cope area.  Our aim is to keep you informed with a concise and informative snapshot of recent planning applications, decisions and appeals we think are of particular interest. You can look up planning references on the Council website.

56 Copers Cope Road, Ref 15/03470/FULL1

A second planning application to demolish the existing late19th-century house and replace it with a four-storey block of nine flats was refused last October after the previous application in March 2015 for a five-storey block of ten flats was withdrawn.  Grounds for refusal were that the scheme constituted a cramped over-development of the site.

Royce House, 56a Copers Cope Road, Ref 15/02068/OUT

An outline planning application made last year to demolish the existing houses at 56A and 56B and replace them with five, three-storey, four-bedroom houses was refused permission on the grounds that it constituted an over-development of the site.  The applicant has appealed against this decision and the hearing is due on 22 March this year.

Ardec Shop, High Street, Ref 15/02489/FULL2

Last August the Council refused an application by the owner of the old Ardec shop to convert it to a restaurant on the grounds that the shop is part of the designated Primary Shopping Frontage of the High Street and restaurant use would not complement this function.  The applicant has since appealed against the decision although, at the time of writing, an appeal hearing date has not yet been set.

Telephone Exchange 15/04184/TELECOM

An application by O2 and Vodafone to install a telecommunications mast, antennae and other equipment on roof of the Telephone Exchange, at the corner of the High Street and Kelsey Park Road, has been refused.  The proposed location of the mast, on a prominent part of the roof, was judged to be unacceptable with regard to the visual impact it would have on the streetscape, in particular the view looking down from Church Hill.

Vodafone, who own the masts and telecoms equipment on the roof of Kelsey House next door, have been given notice to quit by the landlord.  In summer last year, Kelsey House was granted prior approval for change of use from offices to flats. O2 owns the existing mast at the Exchange.

1A Wickham Road, Peach Design, Ref 15/05100/FULL2

An application has been made for a change of use to the three-storey building from a printer’s office to a House of Multiple Occupation with eight bedrooms and shared dining and bathroom facilities. Four of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms.

Bricklayers Arms, High Street, Ref 15/05287/FULL1

The Bricklayers Arms pub has made an application to replace the existing outbuilding and build an infill extension at the rear to enlarge and remodel the interior.

278-280 High Street, above Martin & Co and Red, Ref  15/04371/FULL1

A planning application to add a mansard roof and two studio flats to the building has been refused.  Reasons for refusal were that the proposed mansard style roof alteration and additional floor, by reason of its design, siting, form and bulk and its relationship to adjacent buildings in this prominent location would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the existing building, the integrity of the adjacent terraced buildings and special interest of the setting of the Odeon Cinema Listed Building within the Beckenham Town Centre Conservation Area. It would therefore represent an inappropriate and visually obtrusive development.

94 High Street, Rendezvous Cafe, Ref 15/04478/FULL1

After the first the application was refused, a second application for a replacement shop front has been approved and the work has recently been completed.

86-90 High Street, adjacent to Pier Luigi’s restaurant, Ref 15/04138/FULL1

An application for the construction of a mansard roof to provide two studio residential units has been refused.  Reason for refusals are that the proposed mansard style roof alteration and additional floor, by reason of its scale, design and close proximity to roofscape boundaries, would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the existing building within the Beckenham Town Conservation Area and would represent a visually intrusive addition, harmful to the character and appearance of the area

Change of use from Commercial to Residential

Prior approval applications to convert office premises, many fully-let, to residential use continued to be granted consent at an alarming rate throughout the latter half of last year.  Marqueen House, Ironstone House and Provident House on Burrell Row, towards the western end of Beckenham High Street, were all granted permission in December to be converted to flats, at a loss of many thousands of square feet of purpose-built office space:

Marqueen House, 215 High Street, Ref 15/04323

Consent granted to convert offices on the first, second and third floors to 18 one-bedroom flats, with five parking spaces.

Ironstone House, 205-213 High Street, Ref 15/04293

Consent granted to convert offices on the first, second and third floors to 18 one-bedroom flats, with five parking spaces.

Provident House, 6-20 Burrell Row, Ref 15/04343

Consent granted to convert offices on the ground, first and second floors to 2 two-bedroom and 18 one-bedroom flats, with six parking spaces.

The few remaining office buildings in and around the High Street are under increasing threat of change of use:

Burnhill House, 50 Burnhill Road (adjacent to Lidl), Ref 15/03333

Prior approval was refused at the end of September 2015 to convert the offices to 5 two-bedroom and 9 one-bedroom flats, citing the lack of parking provision as the reason for refusal.  The applicant has since appealed the decision although, at the time of writing, a date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.

A hidden gem in Westgate Road, The Foxgrove Club was funded and built by local residents in 1907 and has managed by club members ever since, is sadly due to close on 30 September 2015.

We understand that the club has been in an ongoing dispute with Lewisham Council regarding the annual rent and that recent rent increases are unaffordable for the social club.

At this point we are not aware what Lewisham Council intends to do with the building  we will let you know when we find out more.

Finally some good news for our threatened trees…. the Council have refused the felling of mature oak tree in the back garden of 25 West Oak Beckenham due to a lack of evidence indicating or proving that the tree was causing damage to nearby houses. Further details can be found online here.

There are numerous applications every year to fell or pollard our old for trees. Luckily this tree had a Tree Protection Order (TPO) so planning needed to be applied for before it could be felled. Trees without TPO are sitting ducks. If you have an old or mature tree in your road please contact the Council to ensure the tree is covered by a TPO. You can do this online at the link below.

Tree Protection Orders

Local list of information requirements – consultation

Bromley Council  are asking for your comments on the revised local list of validation requirements for planning applications.

A planning application has been submitted for new dwelling house to the rear of No.32 Church Road.  Further details can be found online under reference 15/01541/FULL1.
Comments/objections in regard to this application must be provided by 10 June 2015, they can be sent by email to planning@bromley.gov.uk

Please ensure you provide your full name and address including post code to ensure your comments are registered.

In September 2012 the Copers Cope Residents’ Association assisted in getting the beautiful Plane Tree on The Avenue under a Tree Protection Order. Unfortunately Bromley Council gave permission for the tree to be felled on the 5th of February 2015.

The tree is suspected of contributing to subsidence under a nearby house. Local people have fought hard to ensure that there is conclusive evidence that the tree is actually the cause of the subsidence. There have been numerous technical reports by the  house insurer’s consultants over the last few years, none of which have been conclusive. Even the Council’s own independent report does not recommend felling the tree, stating that the findings of the insurer’s consultant reports are inconclusive and incomplete.  It recommended that three courses of action are undertaken before further consideration is given to the removal of the Plane Tree:  1. Shrubbery close to the house is removed;  2. Drains are tested and repaired if found to be defective;  3. Monitoring is continued for one year.

We are gravely disappointed that the Council chose not to follow its own professional consultant’s advice, instead recommending consent to be granted for the removal of this tree based on the insurer’s reports.

Heritage trees are an intrinsic part of the character of many roads in Northern Beckenham.  Because of the detrimental effect the felling of a healthy tree has on the character of the area it should be an action of last resort.

The Council report can be found at the link below.

Consent to remove a London Plane tree on land adjacent to No.76b The Avenue, Beckenham

Beckenham’s Heritage Trees have been under threat in recent years, with a number lost due to development or subsidence claims such as this. Not all our heritage trees are under a Tree Preservation Order, whereby you must apply to the Council to fell or pollard them, and the ones that are not covered by a TPO are more at risk. If you have an old or mature tree in your road why not contact the Council to see if it is covered by a Tree Preservation Order and if not whether it should be.  You can do this online at the link below.

Tree Protection Orders

Worsley Bridge Primary School on Brackley Road is set to double in size after winning planning permission last week to build a new, two-storey classroom wing.  The new building will sit perpendicular to the existing main school building, facing onto the playground and backing onto Abbey Lane.

The former two-form entry junior school, which took children from ages 7 – 11, converted to a ‘full primary’ status in 2013, opening two reception forms last September.

For more details visit Bromley Council’s planning website under reference number  14/02230/FULL1

The application for a change of use of No. 10 High Street from a retail unit to a takeaway was refused planning permission last week.  The shop, situated near to Beckenham Junction Station, between Airbrush Nail Bar and Kaplan Kebab House, was formerly a hairdressers.  The Council’s reasons for refusal included loss of a viable A1 retail unit and that the proposal would result in a detrimental impact upon the levels of criminal and anti-social behaviour, noise and general disturbance harmful to the character of the area and the amenities of neighbouring residents.

Further details can be found on Bromley Council’s website under reference number 14/01232/FULL2

Of interest to residents may be the brochure for the contested development behind Pierluigi’s. Details of the shared ownership development and the brochure can be found at the link below.

Rokewood Apartments