Developer Must Tear Down Unauthorised Garratt Lane Building
Block of flats bears no resemblance to its planning permission
A property developer who flouted building rules and constructed an “ugly” block of flats in Earlsfield that bears no resemblance to its planning permission, has been told he must tear down the whole building.
The developer, who is not being named by the Council at this stage, was given permission in 2008 to build 12 flats on a plot of land in Garratt Lane.
This consent was based on detailed drawings submitted with his application. It allowed him to build nine one bedroom flats and three with two bedrooms.
Instead the developer built eight two bedroom flats and four one bed flats by using the basement to provide two of these properties.
Wandsworth Planning would never have been permitted this development because that part of Garratt Lane is liable to flooding, and say that on two occasions the tenants in these basement units have been hit by floods.
In addition the Council has deemed that the basement flats have little or no natural light and are not suitable for residential accommodation. Most of the flats are also too small and have sub-standard amenity space.
Meanwhile t he appearance of the completed building looks nothing like the approved drawings.
Windows have been removed or altered leaving vast expanses of bare brick. The materials used in the construction also did not comply with those that were approved.
As a result the Council has taken enforcement action which requires the developer to undo all of the elements of his scheme that do not have permission – which will essentially require him to demolish the entire building and start again.
Planning chairman Cllr Sarah McDermott said, “This is a shocking case of a property developer who clearly thought he could get away with totally ignoring planning rules.
“It is difficult to recall a more outrageous flouting of the planning laws and for doing so I’m afraid he must remove what is there and replace it with a new building that conforms to design standards and provides the people living there with proper facilities and appropriate living space.”
The enforcement notice requires all the necessary remedial works to be completed before October this year.
February 21, 2017