Enforcement appeal allowed for HMO in Newham

In this case, our client appealed against an enforcement notice issued by the London Borough of Newham alleging an unlawful change of use of a house to a small house in multiple occupation (HMO). The enforcement notice required the use of the property as a HMO to cease. We appealed the notice under ground (a), asking the […]

Certificate of lawfulness granted for long-established HMO in Newham

Councils across the country have been taking a much stricter approach to houses in multiple occupation, both when it comes to new HMOs and to existing properties that have been in use for many years. The London Borough of Newham is one of the most restrictive authorities in this respect. First, the borough is covered by an […]

Appeal allowed for additional storey creating six new flats under permitted development

The government has introduced new permitted development rights to make it easier to add extra floors to certain commercial buildings and blocks of flats. These rights were intended to boost housing supply, particularly in built-up urban areas. As we have written before, councils are often cautious about these rights. Upward extensions are sensitive by their […]

Appeal allowed for side infill extension following enforcement action

In this case, our client became involved in a planning enforcement investigation relating to a side infill extension to the side return, the narrow area beside the rear outrigger of a Victorian house. Planning permission had originally been granted for an extension with a height of 2.5m. During construction, however, it was built to a […]