Through the work of the sub-committee, the Society has been instrumental in saving many buildings of note including Addington Square, Denmark Hill Station and part of Windsor Walk. The Society has also been instrumental in influencing new development to make a positive contribution to the area, and works with local residents and tenants groups where there are common issues. The current composition of the Planning sub-committee is: Tim Gaymer, Anthony Kyrke-Smith, Elizabeth Borowiecka, Jason Leech, Robert Potz, Jonathan Hunt, Paul Cohoon, Somayya Yaqub, Michael Galt and Tom Harvey. Potential new members are welcome to attend a meeting as an observer initially. The Society is currently under represented by members from the Myatt Fields and Brunswick Park areas.
21/AP/1648 93 GROVE LANE LONDON SE5
Application Reference & Link: 21/AP/1648 Change of use from a 14 unit HMO (Hostel) (Sui Generis) into 5no self-contained Flats (C3 Use Class), (comprising 1 x three bedroom Maisonette at lower Ground Floor and Ground Floor level, 1 x Two bedroom flat at Ground Floor Level, 1 x One bedroom flat at First Floor Level, 1 x One bedroom flat at First floor level and 1 x two bedroom flat Second Floor level. This application shows scant regard for the historic and architectural value of the house and compounds the adverse effects of the original ill-judged conversion to an HMO. The Camberwell Society urges Southwark Council to take this opportunity to carry out a conversion which properly respects the building’s historic value and the principles of good quality domestic design. The original conversion to an HMO involved the destruction of much of the building’s historic character, internal and external: an inappropriate extension, unsuitable replacement windows, rainwater and soil pipes fixed to the front of the building, and loss of internal features including plaster mouldings, doors, skirtings, architraves and other joinery. The current application fails to rectify these shortcomings and adds new items to the list: Poorly designed flat layouts, rooms which fall below the space guidelines set by the Southwark Residential Design Standards, lobbies which take corners out of otherwise rectangular rooms unnecessarily, a fire escape which has been retained but access to it blocked off, two flats with only single bedrooms, a flat with a dining room recess that has no windows, a maisonette without a staircase to link its two floors, kitchen layouts and fittings grouped in such a way as to make them un-useable and no landscaping proposals or arrangements for bicycle and rubbish storage The Camberwell Society objects to this application for the above reasons |