Hackney Council's Planning Sub-Committee has approved plans to convert a Fanshaw Street garage into residential flats, adding to the borough's housing stock.
The decision was made at a meeting on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, where councillors granted planning permission for the demolition of an existing garage at Fanshaw House, Fanshaw Street, N1 6HX, and the construction of a three-storey building. The new building will house a one-bedroom flat, a two-bedroom maisonette, and a three-bedroom maisonette.
The committee considered a report which noted that 14 letters of objection had been received, raising concerns about overdevelopment, scale and massing, loss of daylight and overshadowing, privacy and overlooking, security risks, traffic and congestion, and car parking. However, the report for Fanshaw House notes that the proposed development would not materially compromise the amenity of neighbouring properties in terms of daylight, sunlight, outlook, and privacy.
The development, proposed by Archdale Estates Ltd & Fanshaw House Developments Ltd, also includes the construction of a lift on the rear elevation of Fanshaw House and the enlargement of ground floor windows on the rear elevation.
According to the report, the proposed development would provide three self-contained residential units, contributing to Hackney's housing needs, in accordance with policy LP12 of the Hackney Local Plan 2033 (LP33). The applicant has also agreed to pay a £150,000 affordable housing financial contribution, as required by policy LP13 of the LP33, and a financial carbon offset payment of £2,565 is to be secured as a planning obligation. The applicant has signed the Council's Small Sites Agreement confirming their acceptance to pay the required £150,000 financial affordable housing contribution, which will be secured as a planning obligation within the drafted Section 106 Agreement.
A planning obligation is recommended to restrict future occupiers of the proposed dwellings from applying for parking permits, addressing some concerns about traffic and congestion.
The planning statement from Joe Haines of Savills notes that the Council's tariff for carbon offset payments is £95 per tonne over 30 years or £2,850. Multiplied by 0.9 the carbon offset payment is £2,565. The meeting information does not specify which projects the carbon offset payment will fund.
