Hackbridge residents have voiced strong objections to a planning application that would see an existing House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at 37 Longfield Avenue expanded from seven to nine bedrooms. Despite these objections, the Sutton Council Planning Committee voted to GRANT planning permission, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement to prevent future occupants from obtaining parking permits.
The Sutton Council Planning Committee met on Wednesday 06 August 2025 to discuss the application, among others, with Councillor Jayne McCoy (Chair: Planning Committee) presiding. The application, referenced as DM2025/00431, was de-delegated by Councillor Sheldon Vestey due to concerns about over-proliferation of HMOs, overdevelopment, poor accommodation standards, inadequate parking, and increased parking stress.
According to the Public reports pack, a total of 25 letters of objection were received. Residents raised concerns about overdevelopment, an overproliferation of HMOs in the area, increased noise and disturbance, overcrowding, poor living standards, potential bin overflow, and inadequate parking. Some also expressed fears about increased antisocial behaviour and the devaluation of properties on Longfield Avenue. While residents raised these concerns, the specific evidence provided is not detailed in the Public reports pack.
The committee report notes that the council's Residential Enforcement Officer confirmed the site already holds a license for a 9-bed HMO, issued on 18 March 2025. The council addresses the concerns raised by residents and Councillor Vestey in section 5.4 of the report, responding to material objections such as overdevelopment, overproliferation of HMOs, increased activity/noise, standard of accommodation, waste, and highways. The applicant, Mr. Ghlenn Perry Capuyan, has reportedly agreed to a Section 106 legal agreement to prevent future occupants from obtaining parking permits, aiming to mitigate parking concerns. No other conditions are specified in the provided text regarding the Section 106 agreement.
The council's Highway Officer has raised no objection to the proposal being car free, provided that the applicant enters a Section 106 legal agreement to prevent future occupants and visitors from applying for car parking permits. The council's Waste Team also raised no objections after an amended drawing showed increased refuse storage within the property frontage.
Despite the objections, the planning officer's report recommended granting planning permission, subject to the Section 106 agreement. The report concluded that the proposal complies with policy 10 of the Sutton Local Plan 2018, except for the fact that the application site is not a detached property. Policy 10 of the Sutton Local Plan 2018 outlines several criteria for extensions that increase residents in large HMOs (seven or more people). These include:
(i) Is a detached property and the proposed new units will share facilities and have a joint access.
(ii) Is within one of the Areas of Potential Intensification.
(iii) Has no adverse impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties.
(iv) Does not detract from the character and appearance of the area, particularly when proposed in Conservation Areas and Areas of Special Local Character.
(v) Meets the Mayor's internal space standards.
(vi) Does not adversely affect on-street parking.
The planning officer gives limited weight to the breach of policy 10 (i) as on balance, the proposal generally accords with policy 10 (complies with 5 out of the 6 requirements), and it is unclear how the site being semi-detached would cause unacceptable harm, especially given that the two additional bedrooms are sited along the detached wall where no neighbours adjoin the site. The property is already a lawful HMO.
Regarding accommodation standards, the Council has no specific planning policies, or prescriptive standards set out in planning policy or supplementary guidance, that specifically deal with minimum room sizes for HMOs. The LPA's 'Houses in Multiple Occupation Standard Guidance' sets standards applied to licensed HMOs, and whilst this is not planning policy, the criteria in the report represents good practice with which to assess HMOs, in the absence of any other explicit criteria relating to HMO standards. The guidance sets out that one person units of accommodation must provide a minimum of 10sqm (with separate shared kitchen facilities), two or more person units of accommodation must provide a minimum of 16sqm (with separate shared kitchen facilities). The proposed 9-bed HMO would have bedrooms ranging from 11sqm to 15.6sqm, which could accommodate 9 occupants in total.
