®Planning appeal decision
35 Cumberland Drive, Bexleyheath, DA7 5LA
Planning appeal 6012368 at 35 Cumberland Drive, Bexleyheath, DA7 5LA (London Borough of Bexley) was allowed on 2 October 2026, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the development would meet a need for children's residential care accommodation.
change of use from C3 to C2
- Authority
- London Borough of Bexley
- Appeal type
- Planning
- Procedure
- Written
- Development
- community-institutional
- Postcode
- DA7 5LA
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the development would meet a need for children's residential care accommodation
- whether the development would provide suitable accommodation for children
- the effect of the proposal on the character of the area
- the effect of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring properties
- the effect of the proposal on highway safety
What decided it
The significant identified need for children's residential care accommodation in Bexley, combined with the proposal's compliance with development plan policies supporting specialist residential care where housing is lost, and the ability to manage potential impacts through conditions, outweighed concerns about loss of housing and character change.
The benefits of meeting an identified need for children's residential care accommodation outweighed the loss of a single dwelling and minor alteration to the area's character, provided that impacts on neighbours and highway safety could be managed through conditions.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy H12 of the London Plan March 2021Policy SP2 of the Bexley Local PlanPolicy DP6 of the Bexley Local PlanPolicy D3 of the London PlanPolicy SP5 of the Bexley Local PlanPolicy DP11 of the Bexley Local PlanPolicy DP23 of the Bexley Local PlanPolicy DP24 of the Bexley Local Plan
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Policy HO1
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in London Borough of Bexley
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.