Plans for a new housing development at the rear of Violet Close in Sutton have been approved by the Sutton Council Planning Committee, despite objections from local residents. The committee considered the application on Wednesday 2 July 2025 and voted to grant planning permission for application DM2024/01252, subject to conditions outlined in Appendix B.
The application, submitted by Aseem Sheikh, seeks permission for the erection of eight two-storey and one single-storey attached dwellings with accommodation in the roof space, as well as cycle and refuse storage, car parking, and landscaping. The unit mix would comprise eight three-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit.
According to the Planning Committee agenda, the application has received more than 10 objections, and a petition has been submitted against the proposal.
The report pack details the material changes to the scheme from a recently refused planning application (Ref DM2024/00441). The previous application was refused on the grounds of:
- unacceptable level of mutual overlooking and loss of privacy to 16 and 18 Violet Close
- failure to provide suitable housing and genuine choice for a range of persons
- failure to provide future occupiers with satisfactory levels of privacy, useable and good quality private amenity space and adequate maintenance space
- failure to mitigate against the preemptive clearing and does not provide a high quality scheme
- failure to demonstrate that no net loss of biodiversity can be achieved and no legal agreement has been completed to ensure no net loss is secured.
The material changes to the scheme are:
- The bulk and massing of the building has been reduced from 9 two storey building to 8 two storey and 1 single storey building;
- The building is moved approximately 7 metres to the west in order to set it adequately away from the existing pylon;
- The pitch roof dormer features were removed from the front elevation and replaced with flush rooflights in order to mitigate mutual overlooking to the side elevations of 16 and 18 Violet Close;
- A communal garden area of approximately 150 square metres has been introduced in the eastern side.
A legal agreement will be required to secure the management and maintenance of a proposed traffic light safety system. The traffic light signal would be located close to the access junction with Ridge Road so that it is visible to approaching drivers. The operation of the traffic light signal would be set so as to prioritise incoming vehicles in order to mitigate any potential traffic congestion along Ridge Road.
Objectors have raised concerns about the design and character of the area, impact on neighbours, and highways and parking. The design and character objections state that the layout and density of the building would adversely harm the area. However, the council has stated that although the application site is situated outside any of the designated Area of Potential Intensification or a conservation area the creation of nine additional housing units within the site would not result in any significant impact on the density of the local area. In terms of the layout, the proposed building has been designed to be adequately positioned within the site and allows for significant amenity areas for soft and hard landscaping. Furthermore, the proposal has been designed to integrate well within the site and, given its secluded location, it would not result in any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding street scenes.
The impact on neighbours objections include overlooking and loss of privacy, and increase noise from the quantity of the proposed bins (27) to be dropped at access/Ridge Road by the future residents and pick up by the council. The council has stated that each unit would be provided with a bin shelter at the forecourt and bins for all 9 units would be brought to the holding area along the shared access approximately 5 metres from the junction with Ridge Road only on bin collection days and they would be returned to the individual units once emptied by an appointed service company. As such the proposal would not result in any significant increase in noise within the context.
Highways and parking objections include that the proposed development would increase traffic, congestion and pressure on car parking along Ridge Road. The scheme has been designed to provide a parking space each for the proposed units with additional three spaces for visitors. As such, there would be adequate parking spaces within the site such that the proposal is unlikely to result in any stress on the parking situation within the area.
The Planning Committee, chaired by Councillor Jayne McCoy, also considered other planning matters at the meeting, including the change of use of Stone Court and Stone Court Cottage, a tree preservation order on Tewkesbury Road, and a residential extension on Victoria Avenue.
See the full agenda for the meeting on the Sutton Council website.