20/AP/0598
Conversion of single-family dwelling house into two flats and
construction of a single-storey rear extension.
This is a Southwark owned property being developed under a project
called Hidden Homes. Whilst the conversion of this Grosvenor Park
Conservation Area Georgian three-storey plus attic rooms property makes
sense in principle, to add the rear extension does not.
Whilst the application says a single-storey rear extension, this is
raised so that the roof is accessible off the upper ground floor to
first floor half landing, as a roof terrace with spiral staircase down
to the half of the garden that would be allocated to the upper unit.
This would be the only such rear extension and spiral staircase with the
potential for overlooking along this long terrace of similar Georgian
properties.
The rear of this terrace is South facing and gardens of reasonable
length.
This said there is an eight-storey block of flats, in Bethwin Road to
the South, beyond the end of the gardens to this part of the terrace
with windows and access landings that look North back to these
properties, so they are already overlooked.
The Camberwell Society objects to the proposals on the basis that this
would be the only rear extension (and spiral staircase) to this
Conservation Area terrace.
The Camberwell Society objects to the replacement of timber framed
windows with uPVC framed windows (to the rear only), particularly as
this is a Conservation Area.The use of upvc is an unsustainable
solution. The society would support the replacement of the timber
windows with suitably detailed new timber windows of a higher thermal
performance than the existing as is proposed for the front elevation of
this property.
The Camberwell Society also notes an error on the application form where
asked “Does your proposal include the gain, loss or change of use of
residential units?” and the agent states “No” when in splitting a single
house into two units, the whole purpose of the application, the answer
should be “Yes”.
The Camberwell Society objects to the proposals on the basis that this
would be the only rear extension (and spiral staircase) to this
Conservation Area terrace as well as the proposed use of upvc window
frames.