A decision on a proposed six-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at 48 Welton Road, Plumstead, has been deferred by Greenwich Council's Local Planning Committee. The deferral comes after councillors raised concerns regarding the adequacy of a car parking survey submitted by the applicant.

The committee heard that the initial survey, conducted overnight, was not considered representative of daytime parking pressures, particularly given the proximity of Willow Dene School. Ward councillor Izzy Cooke also voiced concerns about parking, highway impact, and noise. Residents echoed these concerns, highlighting severe parking pressure and road safety issues in the area, exacerbated by the concentration of existing HMOs. The meeting information does not specify the exact number of existing HMOs in the immediate vicinity of 48 Welton Road, however, residents raised concerns about the cumulative impact of multiple HMOs in the area. Regarding the council's policy on HMO concentration, the report for 74 Purrett Road states that there were no policies restricting HMO concentration.

Map showing the location of 48 Welton Road, Plumstead, SE18 2JF, a proposed six-bedroom HMO development.
Map showing the location of 48 Welton Road, Plumstead, SE18 2JF, a proposed six-bedroom HMO development.

While officers recommended approval for the amended plans, citing a revised daytime parking survey indicating available spaces, councillors opted to defer the decision to allow for further investigation into the parking situation. The revised daytime parking survey for the application at 48 Welton Road was conducted between 10 am and 11 am on June 3rd and 4th, 2026. The methodology used was the Lambeth Methodology, with a tweak to count each car length as 5.5m instead of 5m to better reflect the circumstances in the borough. The survey was conducted during term time while the school was in operation. The results indicated parking availability of 21.5% and 29.3% within 200m of the site, with at least 26 available spaces during the survey times. This was considered sufficient to overcome previous concerns about daytime parking pressure, particularly in relation to Willow Dene School.

The meeting, held on Tuesday 14 July 2026, also addressed other planning applications, including extensions and conversions, with decisions made on several HMO proposals. The timeframe for this further investigation and the subsequent decision was relatively short, as the revised survey was submitted and considered, leading to a decision at the same meeting.

Aerial view of the proposed development site at Land to the Rear of 39-50 Vicarage Park, Plumstead, SE18 7TG, highlighted with a red outline.
Aerial view of the proposed development site at Land to the Rear of 39-50 Vicarage Park, Plumstead, SE18 7TG, highlighted with a red outline.

Agenda frontsheet 14th Jul 2026 Public reports pack 14th Jul 2026