South Croydon residents have voiced strong objections to a proposed development at 8 West Hill, which seeks to demolish an existing house and construct five new 4-bedroom homes. The Croydon Council Planning Sub-Committee addressed the concerns during its meeting on 3 July 2025.
The application, referenced as 24/04347/FUL, has drawn significant criticism, with 70 objections received, including those from Councillor Lynne Hale, Chris Philp MP, and the Sanderstead Resident's Association. Concerns primarily revolve around overdevelopment, design incongruity with the area, and potential impacts on neighbouring amenities. Councillor Hale, Chris Philp MP, and the Sanderstead Resident's Association specifically cited overdevelopment as a primary concern, with additional worries about the design, bulk, massing, layout, parking, and potential harm to neighbouring properties.
According to the Public Reports Pack, objectors argue that the proposed development's design and character are not in keeping with the area, potentially impacting neighbouring amenity through overlooking and visual intrusion. Parking and highways issues, loss of mature trees, and archaeological impact on a Saxon burial ground were also cited as reasons for objection. The site falls within the Hook Hill Archaeology Priority Area, and anecdotal evidence suggests it is partially located upon a Saxon burial mound. However, no objections were raised regarding the archaeological impact, subject to the submission of a Written Scheme of Investigation.
The planning history of the site includes a previous application (24/01843/FUL) for six houses, which was refused and subsequently dismissed at appeal. The inspector considered the proposal to be highly intrusive due to excessive bulk and massing for the site, and the extent of engineering works to the front to create the parking area,
and also considered the proposal overbearing for 6 West Hill.
The Director of Planning and Strategic Transport was expected to recommend that planning permission be granted, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure a financial contribution of £7,500 towards sustainable travel improvements in the local area, in line with Local Plan policies SP8.12 and SP8.13. The specific sustainable travel initiatives that this contribution would fund were not detailed in the provided documents.
The officer's report stated that the current proposal addressed the previous reasons for refusal through a reduced scheme with one less unit, and that the design and massing was now considered appropriate. The current proposal includes a terraced block of three homes in place of the existing house, and a pair of semi-detached houses on the northern part of the site. Gaps between the new buildings and the boundaries with 6A and 10 West Hill would be 4.7m and 2.6m respectively, with a 5m gap between the two buildings. The ramped access to the dwellings on the northern part of the site has been removed, replaced with regular step-free access. The main car parking area has been reduced in size, accommodating four cars and set back 4.9m from the pavement, allowing for additional landscaping to screen the car park and retaining walls.
Concerns were raised regarding parking and highways issues, including insufficient parking provision, increased traffic congestion, and highway safety. The proposal addresses these concerns by providing five parking spaces, aligning with London Plan policy T6.1. The proposed forecourt is designed to facilitate easier maneuvering and ensure good visibility for vehicles exiting the site.
The Planning Sub-Committee, including Councillor Michael Neal, Councillor Clive Fraser, Councillor Lara Fish, Councillor Sean Fitzsimons, Councillor Mohammed Islam and Councillor Helen Redfern, were present to discuss the application. The committee was reminded to consider any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI), some other registrable interest (ORI) or a non-registrable interest (NRI) in relation to any matter on the agenda, according to the Agenda Frontsheet.