41 Valley Road, LONDON, SW16 2XL

change of use from a small house in multiple occupation (Use Class C4) to a larger house in multiple occupation (Sui generis)

Authority: London Borough of Lambeth
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Change of use
Inspector: Savage K

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the housing mix of the borough
whether the proposal would adequately promote sustainable modes of transport

What decided it

The lawfulness of the change of use to a six-person HMO, combined with the negligible practical impact of accommodating two additional occupants in existing rooms and the site's reasonable accessibility to sustainable transport options, justified allowing the appeal despite limited policy conflicts.

Plan policies cited: Policy H3, Policy H8, Policy H9, Policy H62, Policy T1, Policy T3, Policy T6

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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