43 DARTMOUTH ROAD, LONDON, SE23 3HN, application DC/22/127781: Prior Approval under Schedule 2, Part 3, Class MA of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (as amended) for the change of use of the existing ground floor and basement from retail (Use Class E) to a single dwelling (Use Class C3) at 43 Dartmouth Road SE23.
We are writing to object to the above application by virtue of the unsuitable accommodation proposed and the detrimental impact on the Forest Hill Conservation Area.
The proposals do not
satisfy the requirements within “Technical housing standards – nationally described
space standard” (Department for Communities and Local Government, March
2015) or the London Plan (March 2021). The above space standards do not
cater for a 1 bedroom/2 person accommodation over two floors, so this would be
subject to the 1 bedroom/2 person requirement. The proposed 45 sqm unit would therefore
not satisfy the requirement within both of the above documents of 58 sqm.
The Forest Hill
Conservation Area is characterised by its commercial and retail centre around
the railway station and surrounding suburban residential streets and green
spaces. The commercial core, including the retail units along Dartmouth Road contribute
to this area’s character. The loss of a retail unit in this area and the
resulting inactivity of its frontage would erode this commercial character and
ultimately, the character of the wider Conservation Area.
