Faced with ever-increasing demands on its limited housing supply, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is challenging a planning inspector’s decision to approve development to turn two flats into a single home.
The authority claims that the scale of such amalgamation projects in its area is significantly reducing the available housing stock.
It is asking the High Court to quash the inspector’s decision that such use of flats 1 and 3, 44 Stanhope Gardens, London SW7, was lawful, and to grant planning permission and listed building consent for the amalgamation works.
Kensington & Chelsea says that the resulting reduction in number and change of character of residential units, as well as a change in the respective proportions of housing sizes, will all have planning consequences for its area. This, it argues, means that the development involves a material change of use of the two flats.
Timothy Straker QC told judge Mr Justice Holgate that it was “notorious” that in London, and Kensington & Chelsea in particular, there are significant problems arising from the price and character of housing stock, creating a “circumstance of extreme difficulty” for those the borough would like to see live there. These, he said, include those who wish to live in single-bedroom flats.
Lawyers representing the secretary of state for communities and local government and applicants for permission David Reis and Gianna Tong are seeking to have the decision upheld.
The judge will give his decision at a later date.
