The New and Old Malden Planning Sub-Committee met on Thursday 6 November 2025 and approved a planning application for extensions to a property in New Malden. The meeting also saw the confirmation of previous minutes and no declarations of interest were made by councillors who had attended site visits.

Planning Application - 24 Poplar Grove, New Malden

The committee approved the planning application for the erection of a single-storey infill and first-floor rear extension, refurbishment of the existing roof with two rear dormers, demolition of an existing timber fence and rear outbuilding, and the erection of a brick boundary wall and single-storey rear outbuilding at 24 Poplar Grove, New Malden, KT3 3DA. The application also included fenestration alterations, the removal of a snag willow tree with replacement planting, and the replacement of single-glazed timber sash windows with double-glazed timber windows.

The decision to approve the application was made by a vote of three in favour (Councillors Lesley Heap, Richard Thorpe, and Mike Massimi) with two abstentions (Councillors Yvonne Tracey and Andrew Sillett). No councillors voted against the proposal.

The application was referred to the committee due to thirteen objections received from local residents. Concerns raised included the impact on trees, the excessive height or bulk of proposed buildings, inadequate landscaping, inappropriate design and layout, unacceptable or incompatible use, loss of light or sunlight, and loss of privacy.

During the meeting, Mr James Lappin and Tania Lappin spoke against the application on behalf of Mrs Soultana Puzacz. There were no speakers in favour of the application.

The committee's decision was to approve the application subject to conditions and to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regeneration to finalise these conditions. An informative was added to the decision, stating that the willow tree located in the back garden of the property should be retained.

The planning report highlighted that the site is located within The Groves Conservation Area. The proposed development was assessed against national and local planning policies, including the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the London Plan 2021, with particular attention paid to character and design, heritage assets, residential amenity, trees, and fire safety. Officers concluded that the proposed extensions were of an acceptable design, siting, and scale, and would not adversely impact the character and appearance of the local area or the amenities of neighbouring occupiers. The replacement planting for the removed tree was also deemed sufficient to maintain the leafy green setting of the site.

The full details of the planning application and the committee's decision can be found in the Public reports pack and the Printed minutes.