One two-storey dwelling at Land Between 80 - 82 Hurst Road, Erith

What was proposed

A two-storey, three-bedroom end-of-terrace dwelling was proposed, with one rear parking space and cycle and refuse storage at the front.

“The proposals are for construction of two storey end-of-terrace dwelling with off-street parking and landscaping.”

“The proposal seeks to construct a new, two-storey, three-bedroom, end-of-terrace dwelling, with a single off-street parking space to the rear and cycle and refuse storage to the front.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The site is on the west side of Hurst Road, has a PTAL of 2, and borders the Northumberland Heath Local Centre at the rear.

“The proposal site is located on the west side of Hurst Road, Erith, approximately 180m north of the junction with Colyers Lane. Hurst Road is an unclassified road and designated a Local Access Road. The rear of the proposal site borders the Local Centre of Northumberland Heath.”

“There are no waiting restrictions in the vicinity of the site, however, the road is known to be congested for parking. The area has historically been used for informal off-street parking, although, more recently it has been hoarded off to prevent this.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because the infill dwelling would provide good accommodation and would not cause unacceptable harm to neighbours, highways or the wider environment.

“The proposal represents a sustainable and efficient use of an underutilised infill site within a designated residential area. The design, scale, and layout of the new dwelling would be in keeping with the character of the surrounding terrace and wider street scene, while providing a high standard of accommodation for future occupiers.”

“The development would not result in any unacceptable impacts on neighbouring amenity, highway safety, or the wider environment. All technical matters have been addressed through submitted documentation and can be secured by condition where necessary. The proposal is therefore considered to comply with the relevant policies of the London Plan, Bexley Local Plan, and the National Planning Policy Framework, and is recommended for approval.”

Officer report

What residents said

Four representations raised concerns about local character, parking, traffic, overlooking from a balcony, and drainage beside the alleyway.

“This concern is addressed in the ‘Design’ section of this report. Concerns relating to a balcony not being appropriate for the character of the area. No balcony is proposed to the single dwelling.”

“No balcony is proposed to the single dwelling. Concerns relating to traffic generation by other nearby businesses. Wider concerns about traffic not relating to this application are not relevant to the proposal being assessed.”

Officer report

Who spoke

An objector spoke on behalf of herself and Hurst Road residents, and the applicant spoke in support of the proposal.

What members discussed

Members considered the speakers’ comments and the officer report, and requested an informative encouraging sufficient lighting along the accessway for security.

“The Committee discussed the application, considered all observations, points and comments made by the speakers and noted the report with the Addendum item for this application. During the discussion, an informative was requested by Members, suggesting the applicant puts sufficient lighting (along the accessway) for security reasons.”

Minutes

The committee vote

The committee approved the application by nine votes to none, in line with the recommendation and with the added lighting informative.

“Following their discussion, the Committee RESOLVED on a vote of 9/0 to approve the application in accordance with the recommendation as set out in the report before them, as amended by the Addendum and the addition of an informative on lighting.”

Minutes

Conditions and safeguards

Approval included conditions covering materials, construction management, sustainability, biodiversity, waste, cycling, parking, drainage, privacy, landscaping and future alterations.

“Site access and loading/unloading arrangements • Parking arrangements for construction workers and other site operatives/visitors • Measures to control dust and emissions during construction • Storage and disposal measures for construction waste and materials • Measures to ensure the public highway and unadopted accessway remain unobstructed…”

“Reason: To ensure adequate provision of off-street parking and electric vehicle charging facilities, in the interests of sustainable transport, highway safety, and residential amenity. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the surface water drainage strategy set out in the submitted SUDS and Drainage Information (Drawing Ref: X_HR_82a_014_SUDS, DRAINAGE, dated 17/09/2024).”

Officer report