A property on Ellingham Road in Chessington has been granted permission to be converted into a seven-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), following a decision by the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The approved plans involve the demolition of a detached garage and the erection of a two-storey side extension and a single-storey rear extension. This facilitates the change of use from a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to a seven-bed HMO (Use Class Sui Generis).
Crucially, the existing dwelling already benefits from permitted development rights under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, which would ordinarily allow a change of use to a small HMO accommodating between three and six unrelated residents (Use Class C4) without planning permission. The application for a seven-person HMO therefore necessitates this full planning application as it exceeds the six-person limit.
During the meeting, the committee heard that the approved plans represent a limited increase in occupancy over this fallback position. The committee noted that the proposed extensions are of a similar scale and form to those previously approved at the site. This assessment was based on the fact that Extensions of a similar scale and form have previously been assessed and considered acceptable at the application site. Most recently, planning permission ref. 26/00241/HOU approved a two-storey side extension and single-storey rear extension of the same scale as those currently proposed, together with an additional first-floor rear extension. This recent permission represents a material consideration of significant weight in the assessment of the current proposal.
Furthermore, the adjoining property at No. 5 Ellingham Road has also been extended in a similar manner, including a two-storey side extension.
The extensions were deemed not to result in unacceptable impacts on neighbouring properties in terms of loss of light, outlook, privacy, or overbearing impact.
Concerns were raised by residents regarding potential noise and disturbance, insufficient on-site parking, and highway safety. Despite the site having a PTAL rating of 2, indicating poor public transport accessibility, it is within walking distance of public transport services. The nearest bus stop, Ellingham Road (Stop M), is approximately a three-minute walk and is served by routes 465, 467 and K4. Chessington North railway station is approximately an 11-minute walk away, providing services operated by South Western Railway.
The amended scheme does not include additional off-street parking spaces or alterations to the existing vehicle crossover, and the council's Neighbourhood Traffic Engineer raised no objections. Cycle storage for 12 cycles has been included, which is considered sufficient for the proposed seven-person HMO and accords with London Plan Policy T5.
A Construction Management Plan will be secured by condition to manage construction activity. Concerns about refuse storage were addressed, with a dedicated store to accommodate six 240-litre bins, complying with council guidance. Fire safety was also considered, with submitted plans demonstrating adequate provisions.
Further details regarding the committee's decisions can be found in the Decisions Thursday 10-Sep-2026 19.30 South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee document.
