Croydon Council's Planning Committee has approved plans for a single-storey rear extension and a first-floor side extension at 26 Lonsdale Road, South Norwood. The development also includes changes to the front fenestration and the conversion of the existing six-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) to a seven-bedroom, seven-person HMO.
The committee heard that the change from a six-person to a seven-person HMO is not generally considered a material change of use. Officers cited national case law and appeal decisions, including Appeal reference: APP/Z1775/C/23/3327364 at 127 Powerscourt Road, Portsmouth, where an Inspector concluded that the impact of an additional bedroom would not constitute a material change of use. This is in line with the Public reports pack for the Planning Committee meeting on 09th April 2026 [https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documents/g4366/Public%20reports%20pack%2009th-Apr-2026%2018.30%20Planning%20Committee.pdf?T=10].
However, local councillors raised significant concerns about the increasing number of HMOs in the area and the impact on family housing supply. They described the over-intensification
of the street with HMOs, noting that two HMOs in a street of 33 modest sized homes where residents have seen several decent family homes lost without any replacement family housing offered is in my view jurisdiction that this should not be allowed to be approved.
Councillors also highlighted that this intensification results in a loss of a family-sized housing in an area with high demand for three and four bedroom houses.
Despite these concerns, the committee found no planning grounds to refuse the application for the extensions. The single-storey rear extension would project approximately 3 metres further out from the existing rear of the property. The first-floor side extension would be set back from the front elevation by 0.5 metres and set in from the side by 0.75 metres, and set down from the roof by a height of 0.2 metres. Officers advised that these dimensions were considered appropriate in terms of scale and impact on the street scene and neighbouring amenity. Specifically, the first-floor side extension's positioning was assessed not to cause harm to amenities of surrounding properties, including overlooking, lighting, or shadowing. The separation distance to the nearest ground floor rear window of No. 28 Lonsdale Road was deemed sufficient, and the remaining rear garden length and boundary treatment were considered adequate for No. 1 Malden Avenue.
The applicant has agreed to a Section 106 agreement to prevent tenants from applying for parking permits. It is noted that the site is not in a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), meaning the council has no control over preventing parking on the street, which is why the agreement could not be imposed retrospectively.
Secure cycle storage for eight bicycles plus a wider adaptable bike is proposed to be located to the rear of the property. There is also one visitor cycle space at the front of the property. The site plan for the development can be viewed here: Item 5.2 Site Plan 26 Lonsdale Road South Norwood.
