1 February (Part 2) - A planning free for all?
One of several Council issues I have been asked to look into recently is a
planning dispute on Erith Road, opposite Trinity School on the A206 half way
between Belvedere and Frazer Road. The original allegation was that two new
houses have been built behind 135 Erith Road without permission.
I first heard about it on 8th May last year and I could find no evidence of a
planning application for Erith Road or Holly Hill Road which backs on to it,
either. Rather than waste time reporting on something which is well beyond my
power to influence, I passed the email to my Councillor Sally Hinkley who replied
very promptly to say it was on Councillors Ball and Taylor’s patch and she had
passed it over to “get the issue resolved”. (She came around with seedlings for
my front garden too but some ‘Conservative opposition’ slugs gobbled them all up.)
I heard no more and the complainant reports the same. Right now he claims to be
unable to get an explanation from anyone at Bexley Council and
he is beginning to think another Mr. Singh must be operating in Bexley. The two
houses report is now amended to “several flats” and the complainant reports that
Bexley Council does now concede that there is neither planning permission nor
fire access. I can only assume that the complainant is not mistaken in his
beliefs but when
rogue developers are alleged and Councillors said to be looking the other way,
experience teaches us to be suspicious.
On a dismal Saturday morning I took the car up the hill passing examples of all four buses that ply
the nicely resurfaced New Road. Erith Road is lined with
bungalows and one might expect houses in the back garden to look more than a
little incongruous. On the other hand the gardens are on a steep hill which might hide the evidence.
Google Earth draws a blank too although the big brown flattened patch (Photo 3) is interesting.
What the complainant really needs is a drone. If anyone has one equipped with a
camera there is money to be earned.
Let me know in the usual way.
Photo 3 enlarges to a much deeper view.
People do of course take liberties with planning rules and
Bexley will invariably accommodate those who enjoy favoured status but maybe it
is
not as bad as some boroughs where not a single house in some roads is without a residential
shack in its back garden.
Newham.
Photo 4 is of a small edifice in a nearby back garden and it too was built without permission.
Bexley Council told me that it was a small tool shed which didn’t need planning
permission. They were not interested that it was equipped as a dwelling house with
a posh front door and double glazing. Neither were they ever around to see the
meals cooked there, the laundry going in and out or the occupants in night attire.
It is not much used now because the occupier’s large family has flown the nest
and found their own accommodation.