To be pissed off about houses on my street being converted into flats

[DrMurdoch]

I live in zone 4 south London, starting a couple of years ago houses in my street and neighbourhood began being converted into flats. Now I have no problem with this is it is one or two houses, but it is approaching 50% of houses on the street.

It’s not like houses in this area are huge Victorian houses (which are commonly converted). These are 1920s and 30s rows of semis and Small terraces. Often with these conversions there is loft extensions which overlook are garden and now by far the majority of house have them. The new flats are often occupied by couples who nearly allways have cars, this has resulted in massive parking problems on the street because the houses usually don’t have drives as it is a tree lined street. Combined with this there is a station 300 meters away leading to even more parking. There is also a housing development being built with 60 flats and only 30 car parking spaces.

Is there anything I can do, I can’t afford to move at the moment and have lived here for 20 years and genuinely love the area, the council are useless and keep approving the plans despite me objecting.

Well no nothing you can do other than object to the builds but if the council grant permission anyway then that’s that!

I get what your saying and after living there for 20 years it would be annoying but it is also London so it’s to be expected really, London sells so they cram in any old crap wherever they can

Difficult. YANBU because it really does impact on the parking. However since it creates two dwellings from one I can see it suits the council to approve these projects.

Perhaps write to Your MP asking for their input into addressing the parking issues. Do the properties have enough space for off street parking?

It’s not two dwellings it’s often 3 and some have been converted to 4/5 studios. The properties on the street I would say maybe 1/10 have off street parking but due to the street being tree lined it’s not possible for most to have them. Also the skips used for the Building take up some of the precious parking spaces as well.

Bump

Not what you want to hear but in my experience (legal in this area) no there is nothing you can really do except try and make a noise about it! Letters/calls to council/MP/local papers..

It sounds like a ridiculous situation getting worse, but cars are often not taken much into account in London as a lot of residents don’t have them (obviously in zone four this isn’t so true). I never owned a car while I lived there as transport links are so good.

300m from a station I’m not surprised you’re seeing high development.

Unfortunately people who want to make money out of property frankly just don’t really care about the impact on the community- this is where the council should come in and are failing you.

Can you get involved in your local council?

We’ve noticed the same thing having lived in our area for 20 years. When we first moved here, there were quite a lot of older residents - as they’ve died off, pretty much each and every house has been converted. The house two does away was turned into 5 flats - the buyer of next door wanted to do the same, but we objected. Luckily, one of our local councillors actually lived six doors away, so that added a bit of weight to our argument. He still managed to convert it into three flats though.

I live in a house similar to the ones you describe. My flat was a new conversion when I moved in.

It’s my home.

You can feel anything you want about it, but you live in a city where demand far outstretches supply. Where do you suggest people live?

Properties are getting smaller. Welcome to the future.

You can feel anything you want about it, but you live in a city where demand far outstretches supply. Where do you suggest people live?

Yes I understand this, however surely the solution isn’t to turn houses into flats. People want houses, if they become rare in inner and outer London now then your not really solving the crisis because the housing market becomes bottom heavy with flats. We need a sensible approach to housing where everyone is considered. Personally I think you have to build on the green belt.

We are in similar situation but have residents parking.
The council made a condition of conversion that - along with various other green measures - that no parking permits would be given to the flats!
Suggest you lobby for the same.

MiddleAgedMother
A recent (2017) Court of Appeal case determined that planning agreements (Section 106 agreements in this case) cannot preclude occupiers of residential developments from applying for permits to park on the public highway.

So your council will no longer be able to enforce those conditions and the flat occupants on your street are just as entitled to a parking permit as you are.
www.elexica.com/en/legal-topics/real-estate/240517-section-106-agreements-cannot-set-parking-permit-restrictions

I think that there has to be a limit set by govt, council or somebody because these houses were built as 2 stories and now with the three story extensions they overlook us massively.

Similar to you OP, Zone 5, my road was originally 1930's 2 bed starter homes, all now extended (including ours) plus loft conversions so they have become 4-5 double bed houses..... which are now multi generational, Mum & Dad , plus the kids and often a grandchild or grandma and they all drive too.

So I cant really see what's so different, it's still the same volume of people.. People will extend, why should they be forced out of their communities, forced to commute, find new schools and doctors because they cant afford to move? Its a town planning issue, building row upon row of standard houses rather than a bit of size variety, thus allowing people to freely move within their own community.

OP understand your frustration especially as there are thousands of purpose built flats going up in London. Planning laws were greatly relaxed under David Cameron bet he doesn’t have to put up with the problems over development has caused

Look on your local councils development plan, which will be online. If it's like mine, it will say that there is a shortage of family houses. Watch the planning applications. Object to all flat conversations on the following grounds
: reducing the stock of family houses
: overdevelopment
: increase in cars
: promoting transient occupation rather than building communities.
Contact your local councillors about your concerns.
Start a Residents Association for support.

In our area, zone 3, no conversation get permission any more.

Totally agree, OP. All the Victorian houses on my street (Zone 2) are snapped up by developers as the old timers die, and then broken into flats.

Now we're inundated with minor trustafarians and bankers rather than families. I realise it's the wheels of capitalism at work, I'm not going to cry about it, but I don't like it.

And the irony of all of this are councils and governments bemoaning the lack of community spirit and cohesion when their policies actively destroy all the suitable family housing in the inner cities and encourage a transient population who have no interest in their local community

London needs this housing. Sorry!