Plans to convert a house into nine flats was given the green light by Croydon Council on Thursday (June 21), despite more than 300 public objections having been made.

A two-storey house in Addiscombe Road, which is currently vacant, will be replaced with a three storey block of nine flats.

The half-acre site backs onto the Whitgift Estate and also includes a car park and communal outdoor area.

The council’s planning committee considered the application on Tuesday.

Park Hill and Whitgift ward councillor Vidhi Mohan requested the application be referred to the committee.

At the meeting Cllr Mohan told the committee he thought approving the application would mean similar applications in the Whitgift Estate would be approved in the future.

“I think if we want to preserve our great heritage in Croydon rejecting this application would be a good start,” he said.

The application received 312 objections as well as one supporting comment and one general comment.

Whitgift Estate homeowner Clio Springer told councillors the development would have a ‘detrimental impact on her life’.

“This is clearly over-development, it is totally out of keeping with all the family sized homes in the area,” said Mrs Springer.  

Ron Terry, an agent for the applicant Addiscombe Treehouse Ltd, hit back saying the development meets all the planning requirements.

Mr Terry said: “It fully respects the character of the area and given the fact that the house is derelict it would improve the area.

“The plot is very substantial and almost double the size of the neighbours.

“If there was ever a site that matches the Croydon Borough Local Plan 2018 then this is it.”

The development will include five parking spaces, it was reduced from 11 after comments from Transport for London (TFL) which said the site is close to public transport including a bus stop and Sandilands tram stop.

The lack of parking was the subject of a number of objections who were concerned it would mean more people would be cars parked in nearby roads.

Cllr Toni Letts said the lack of parking was not a problem in her opinion.

“If this is accommodating younger people, I must tell you most of the younger people in my family ride bikes,” she said.

“I think this is very sensitively done,” she added. “To bring Whitgift properties into this is wrong, we are not discussing Whitgift Land.”

The committee voted to give the plans the go ahead, with six councillors in favour to four against.

As part of the planning permission the developer will have to give £9,000 towards a new pedestrian crossing.