The Croydon Council Planning Committee met on 25 September 2025, and voted to refuse permission for a housing development at Hampton, Hawkhirst Road in Kenley, and to approve a development for 211 residential dwellings at Land Rear Of 13 To 73 Stafford Road, Duppas Hill Road in Croydon.

Hampton, Hawkhirst Road, Kenley

The committee voted to refuse planning permission for the demolition of an existing dwelling and the erection of seven homes at Hampton, Hawkhirst Road, Kenley, CR8 5DL. Reasons given for the refusal were that the development was over intensive in its use of the land, that the scale of the development was out of character with the area, and that the separation distances between the proposed buildings were too small. The committee also cited the lack of a legal agreement to secure sustainable transport contributions as a reason for refusal.

Thomas Wilson, Deputy Team Leader, presented the application, which had received 46 objections from neighbours. Simon Grainger, agent, spoke in support of the application, and Councillor Ola Kolade spoke as the ward councillor.

Councillor Michael Neal, Chair of the Planning Committee, used his casting vote to refuse the application after an initial vote was tied.

The committee considered the following points:

• The design and character of the area
• The demolition of a Grade 3 listed property
• The amount of outdoor space for future residents
• The impact on local residents due to overlooking and loss of privacy
• Noise and disturbance
• The amount of on-site parking and potential increase in traffic congestion
• The impact on wildlife
• The loss of mature trees, including protected trees
• An increase in flood risk due to excessive hardstanding
• Insufficient drainage and waste water management capacity
• The lack of public facilities provided by the development

The committee heard that Chris Philp MP had objected to the proposal because he considered it an overdevelopment that was out of character with the local context, would cause overlooking and a loss of privacy for neighbouring properties, had insufficient on-site parking, would result in an unacceptable loss of trees, and would cause a loss of green space and have a harmful impact on wildlife.

The officer's report [Item 6.1 Hampton Hawkhirst Road Kenley] stated that the proposal was for seven family-sized dwellings, comprising three pairs of semi-detached houses and one detached house with private gardens. It noted that the surrounding area is residential in character with a mix of building typologies, and that the site has a poor accessibility to public transport with a PTAL¹ of 1b, and is located 700m from Kenley Station.

The officer's report stated that the proposal was acceptable because:

• The principle of residential development within this location is acceptable
• The unit mix is acceptable and seven family-sized homes would be provided
• The design and appearance of the development is appropriate for the site and the surrounding context
• There would be no undue harm to the residential amenities of adjoining occupiers
• The standard of accommodation for the future occupants would be acceptable and compliant with the London Plan and Nationally Described Spaces Standards
• Subject to the imposition of conditions and a S106² financial obligation, the proposed development would not have an adverse impact on the operation of the highway
• There would be no undue harm on protected trees or neighbouring trees
• Subject to conditions, the proposed would not have an adverse impact on flooding
• Sustainability aspects can be controlled by condition
• Subject to conditions, the proposals would result in a net gain of biodiversity on site and would not have an adverse impact on ecology.

Land Rear Of 13 To 73 Stafford Road, Duppas Hill Road, Croydon

The committee voted to grant planning permission for the erection of buildings comprising 211 homes and a community hub at Land Rear Of 13 To 73 Stafford Road, Duppas Hill Road, Croydon.

Ross Gentry, Area Team Leader (Central), presented the item. Kasthuri Sundaralingam, Senior Affordable Housing and Enabling Officer, was in attendance to help answer questions. Councillor Ellily Ponnuthurai spoke in relation to the application, and Annamaria Sgueglia spoke in support of it.

The committee heard that the application site, also known as Heath Clark North, amounts to some 1.9 hectares and is currently a grassed field. It is part of a wider parcel of 3.2 hectares which originally comprised the playing fields of the former Heath Clark school. An approved scheme for 126 dwellings on the adjacent Heath Clark South site is near completion. The proposed development is of a similar residential character and comprises 3 to 6 storey blocks arranged along the site's three sides and enclosing a central area of communal open space. Vehicular access is from the south, via Old School Place, which serves the permitted housing scheme and that built earlier on the site of the former Heath Clark school.

The committee heard that the application site is located on a TFL red route to the North (Duppas Hill Road) and adjacent to Duppas Hill Recreation Ground, which is a Locally Listed Park Garden and designated as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

The committee was told that the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration is delegated authority to issue the planning permission subject to a number of conditions and legal agreements.

The legal agreement includes:

• 35% Affordable Housing secured (by habitable room)
• Tenure split ratio 60% social rent to 40% shared ownership
• Early-stage review mechanism (triggered if scheme not built to first floor level within two years of the permission being granted)
• Sustainable Transport contribution of £60,875
• Provision of car club membership for new residents for 3 years (spaces within the southern site)
• Restriction on residential parking permits in Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) and in town centre car parks
• Travel Plan and monitoring
• Any necessary highway works (Section 278 agreement)
• Access over public realm and routes through the site in perpetuity
• Architect retention clause
• Off-site contribution for play space for over 12-year-olds of £51,740
• Public art clauses location defined and a) brief and section agreed with LPA b) final strategy agreed with LPA and c) implementation
• Carbon Off setting contribution of £190,488
• 'Be Seen' monitoring clause
• Air Quality contribution of £21,100
• Training and employment strategy
• LETS[^4] construction phase contribution of £125,000
• Community space management plan (how the space will be marketed, what will be provided in the space and reporting on an annual basis which groups use it, as well as a commitment to making the space is available to rent at a subsidised rate of 50% below market value for 15 hours per week for charities or community groups in Croydon)
• Community use agreement
• Relevant monitoring fees (£1,500 per obligation above)

The conditions include:

• Commencement time limit of 3 years
• Carried out in accordance with the approved drawings
• Contaminated land intrusive site investigation
• Thames water sewer levels and water infrastructure
• Arboricultural details
• Construction Environmental Management Plan
• Piling Method Statement
• Archaeological Written Scheme of Investigation
• Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS)
• Typical façade materials and detailing (1:1 mock-up's, with 1:5/1:10 details to confirm following approval)
• Landscape strategy
• Refuse, cycle, parking spaces, turning areas, EVCPs, signage and emergency access details
• Lighting scheme
• Public art strategy
• Security measures (secure by design compliance necessary post completion)
• Details of the opening hours for the community use
• Delivery and Service Management Plan
• Parking and Management Plan
• Carbon Dioxide emissions
• Low Emission Strategy
• Lighting design strategy for biodiversity
• Ecological Management Plan
• Demolition and Construction Logistics Plan (discharged in consultation with TfL)
• In accordance with ecological mitigation measures
• Minimum water efficiency standard of 110/litres/person/day.
• Hot water boilers achieve Class 6 of the Energy related Products Directive
• 21 number M4(3) units and remainder to M4(2) standard
• Community facilities constructed to meet BREEAM excellent standard
• In accordance with the overheating strategy
• In accordance with Air Quality Assessment
• In accordance with the Site Waste Management Plan
• Community facilities only used as flexible Class F1 / Class F2
• In accordance with the Noise Assessment
• In accordance with the Fire Safety Statement
• Hours of use in respect of the Community Use

Weekly Planning Decisions

The committee noted the weekly planning decisions, as contained within the weekly planning decisions report.