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/1651/2 75-77 SOUTHAMPTON WAY, LONDON SE5 7SW
Application Reference & Link: 21/AP/1651 Change of use from a 11-unit HMO (Hostel) (Sui Generis) into 6 self-contained flats (C3 Use Class), (comprising 2 x one bedroom flats at Lower Ground Floor level, 2 x one bedroom flats at Ground Floor Level, 1 x one bedroom flat at First Floor Level, 1 x one bedroom flat at 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, 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, bedrooms and open plan living/kitchen/dining rooms which fall below the space guidelines set by the Southwark Residential Design Standards, a flat which has only a single bedroom, a flat with a dining room remote from its living room and kitchen, kitchen layouts and fittings grouped in such a way as to make them un-useable, bathrooms which apparently have no baths or showers and no landscaping proposals or arrangements for bicycle and rubbish storage. The Design and Access statement claims to be following the guidelines which emphasise “the importance of bringing forward housing whilst protecting the character of our places, including their local historic context and creating places where people want to live” This is absolutely not what this application does. The Camberwell Society objects to this application for the above reasons |