Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Planning

t  If you want to alter or improve your home:

If you want to alter or improve your home, put up a building in the garden or build an extension, what is allowed is summarised in “Planning – A Guide for Householders”. This is available from the council One Stop Planning Counter or from the website – www.croydon.gov.uk 

 t        Improvements/developments by others:

The council should write to you if they consider that your property will be influenced by a nearby development. All planning applications submitted to the council are listed under the  relevant ward and date of receipt and can be accessed on the council website (see above).

 There are also links to a Quick Search detailing the previous month’s applications, decisions, appeals plus an Advanced Search, as well as access to general planning information. 

 t          If you like the proposed improvement/development:

If this is acceptable to you, then you can either write to the council planning department or do nothing.

 t           If you have a problem with the proposals:

If you disagree with the proposal, write to the Planning Department expressing your reasons (see below for valid reasons). Please note that there is a time limit on commenting, usually three or four weeks after publication. If it is a significant development, contact your neighbours personally to gauge their support. Also contact HADRA to discuss how to proceed. Hadra can give you guidance and assist in compiling an objection letter for completing by residents.

 There is now a new protocol for Development Control introduced by the council from March 2006 and this includes the following:

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To ensure that an application reaches the Planning Committee:

·         There now need to be letters of objection from 12 residents (previously 6)

·         A recognised Residents’ Association (i.e. Hadra) can guarantee that an application reaches the committee.

·         All petitions must have at least 20 signatures.

Member’s referrals: Must be on the correct form and be five days before the meeting.

At the meeting:

·         All material for the committee must reach the planning officer at least 24 hours before the meeting, and not handed round at the meeting.

·         Committee members can now question any residents who speak at the meeting on any of the facts.

 Some valid reasons for objecting:

1.  Bulk and massing:
   The proposed development would be out of keeping with the character of the area and detrimental to the visual amenity of the street scene by reason of its height and massing.

2. Density:
   The proposals are in excess of the densities reflected in the adjoining properties and would result in a cramped and overcrowded layout.

3. Parking facilities on site or on public roads or through traffic:
   The development may have insufficient consideration for the number of cars that will be parked at the site or on public roads. There are detailed rules as to parking spaces per flat.

4. Being overlooked and lack of privacy:
   If the development is large or has inappropriate windows/balconies/patios, this may be detrimental to the amenities of the adjacent properties by reason of its size, siting and visual intrusion. This also applies to mutual overlooking if a back garden development is proposed.

5. Trees:
   The loss of mature trees is viewed dimly and some trees have preservation orders on them.

6. Drainage:
   The proposal may put an unacceptable extra load on foul water drainage.

7. Wildlife:
   In particular, badger setts are protected and in the past have prevented developments going ahead.

8. Adjoining green belt land:
   Planners have refused permission on occasions where a proposed development adjoins green belt land such as Coulsdon Manor golf course.

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 As stated above, contact should be made with HADRA who can coordinate any further action if appropriate, but please note that we cannot give advice to third parties with house purchase and associated planning applications. Nor can we become involved in disputes between neighbours.

 Lastly, although the council can refuse an application for a communications mast, this will inevitably be reversed on appeal as the government is committed to providing a certain level of coverage.

           Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police PPOLLUTION CONTROL – NOISE
Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

POLLUTION CONTROL – NOISE

 Noise is unwanted sound, too loud, duration too long or without warning. Noise Nuisance is used in law which affects the enjoyment of your home.

 Noise nuisance is covered by Part lll of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

 This law empowers local authorities to deal with noise from fixed premises.

Before action is taken the officers have to be sure that the noise constitutes a statutory nuisance. This means that the noise has to be proved to be prejudicial to health and/or is causing an unreasonable persistent disturbance to your lifestyle.

 When is noise a statutory nuisance? The noise can be too loud, too intrusive wrong time. Barking Dogs; loud music; home and car alarms; DIY and motor repairs; repetitive bass beats. Your response to the noise must be wholly reasonable.

 ·         Reporting a noise nuisance – the council in the summer months (from May until the end of September) have a Noisy Party Patrol consisting of an environmental health officer supported by police which operates on a Saturday night keeping an ear out for loud parties and responding to complaints about excessive noise between 11pm and 3am. To contact the council, the phone number is 020 8686 4433, or to speak to an environmental health officer, ring the council Monday – Friday between 9am and 5pm on 020 8760 5483.

 In general terms enforcement action can be taken with a legal notice being served and failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £5,000.

 All residents need to be conscious of the effects of noise, including barbeques.

  The Council does not have any jurisdiction for rail, traffic or aircraft noise.

 Noise Nuisance concerning roads can be a matter for the Police. This can relate in particular to motor cycles, low powered scooters with noisy exhausts, and also cheap mini scooters and the like which are not registered for road use.

 In many cases these are unfortunately as per the manufacturers’ specification which means that the noise created by them cannot be classified as due to the machines being unroadworthy. However, if there is consistent driving up and down a particular section of road, this could become a nuisance (as well as dangerous driving if going too fast round corners or doing wheelies), but it has to be monitored and the culprits caught in the act.

 Similar monitoring would be necessary with these mini scooters but as these are not registered for road use, if they are used on public roads then the Police have more opportunity to act.

The Kenley Ward Safer Neighbourhood team based at Kenley Police Station is the first contact point on 020 8721 2466 between 10.00 am and 10.00pm weekdays.

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                        Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  BONFIRE BULLET POINTS
 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

BONFIRE BULLET POINTS 

1.      Residents should be encouraged to take up bonfire issues:       firstly with the person whose bonfire it is, and secondly with the council on the contact numbers below, and thirdly with one of their local councillors only involving HADRA if they are unable to make progress.

2.      Bonfires themselves are NOT illegal. However,

3.      it is an offence at law to cause a nuisance from a bonfire and

4.      The Council is able to prosecute persistent offenders who can be fined up to £5,000.

5.      The Council prefers that residents recycle waste and the Purley Oaks recycling centre is close to the HADRA area.

6.      Once the Council has introduced a green waste collection borough wide, consideration will then be given to imposing a ban on bonfires

7.      Meantime the Council has published its Air Quality Action Plan (November 2006) which raises the issue of bonfires. This will be open to public consultation and is on going.

8.      The Council will investigate cases where bonfires are a nuisance – 0208 760 5483 preferably enabling officers to attend when the bonfire is in progress. Outside working hours 0208 7267 6000 but it is unclear how immediate any response may be.

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            Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police   Road Safety

 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

 Road Safety

The central point of reference for general road safety matters is Croydon Council and their Road Safety Manager. Some of the main traffic routes through Croydon are the responsibility of the London mayor's office through Traffic for London (TfL), not Croydon Council.

However, in the first instance all enquiries or protests should be directed to the Croydon Road Safety Manager, who will, if necessary, arrange for transmission to TfL.

Serious concerns about matters such as speeding, dangerous driving or accidents etc. may be reported direct to Croydon Police; if possible with details of vehicle registration number and or any distinctive features such as vehicle model, colour or unique lettering on it.

CROYDON COUNCIL ROAD SAFETY MANAGER:   Tel/Typtalk 0208 760 5774 OR 5484

CROYDON POLICE STATION - Tel 0208 667 1212. 

       Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Police

 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

Police

Day to day Police activity is now undertaken by ward Safer Neighbourhood Teams, details as follows:

KENLEY                           Tel.: 0208 721 2466.  Email:  kenley.snt@met.police.uk

COULSDON                    Tel.: 0208 721 2059.  Email:  coulsdoneast.snt@met.police.uk

Safer Neighbourhood Teams do not operate 24 hours a day, but messages can be left.

To report a crime contact 0208 667 1212. but remember it is sometimes better to call 999 if other services are required. 

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                Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Parking Problems

 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

Parking Problems

1. On a public roadway residents have no proprietary rights to the kerbside immediately outside their properties, except to the right of access and egress.
    

2. If encroachment takes place to the extent that access is impossible, the matter should be reported to the council's Parking Enforcement Officer 0208 760 1966; it is important that the officer can see the incident for himself.
    

3. if the encroachment is partial and access can still be achieved, it is suggested that full details should be taken and that a polite notice be placed on the offending vehicle, if this does not have the desired effect, then contact the Parking Enforcement Officer.
    

4. A resident may try to assert parking rights by placing cones to prevent others parking. Whilst this may prove to be effective for a period, it would appear to be indefensible if challenged.

                Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Street Debris

 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

Street Debris (Including Fly Tipping)

Builders' material on roadway/pavement & dumped cars etc incl. fly tipping

1. The Strict position regarding materials on the roadway is that a licence should first be obtained, at a cost, and once the work has been completed and the debris removed, the builder should then notify the Council, who will come and inspect the scene. If all is in order and no damage has taken place the builder's deposit (payable at the time of applying for the licence) will be returned to him
    

2. In fact a practical approach is normally followed, and if a licence is not applied for and the materials are disposed of quickly, then all is well.
    

3. if therefore , a situation gives rise to complaint the sensible course would appear to be to raise the matter with the householder -  who is the responsible person so far as the council is concerned - and if there is no remedy within a reasonable time the matter should be raised with the Street Enforcement Officer. He is currently Steve Gayfer and his Email address is steve.gayfer@croydon.gove.uk; contact by Email is preferable but, in case of need, his phone number is 0208 255 2767.

As regards materials deposited on the pavement, space must be left for pedestrians. if this is not the case, and representations to the workmen or the householder are ignored, then reference to the street enforcement officer would be the next step. However, obviously a reasonable attitude is essential.

4. Where abandoned vehicles are concerned, the council have a section dealing with this. Any referral must be on the basis that the vehicle is definitely abandoned and also is on the public roadway. Telephone:  0208 726 7100 or 0208 407 6839*.

*This number can also be used for reporting untaxed vehicles. This can also be done direct to the DVLA on 0800 325202.

5. Fly tipping can also be reported to the council on 0208 726 6200.

Click here for more details on Fly Tipping

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                Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Overgrown Plants & Trees
 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

Overgrown Plants & Trees

Overgrown plants, trees and shrubs on pedestrian walkways.

All these issues should be dealt wih by the resident and the council were appropriate

With matters of appearance to gardens it is always worth having a little chat with the neighbour before taking any action, as this could resolve the situation before involving any outside bodies.

If greenery from a private dwelling is overgrown and encroaching onto a footpath to the extent of reducing the width of the pathway or forcing pedestrians off the pathway into the road, the Council should be notified. 

 The Council will then instruct a designated Streetscene Officer to view the situation. If after inspection it is felt action needs to be taken, a letter will be issued and if no action is taken to remedy the situation, the Council could have the greenery cut and then bill the occupant.

If the overgrown area is a Council responsibility, the Parks and Woodland Dept. should be contacted

              Planning      Pollution Control - Noise      Bonfires     Road Safety      Police  Rubbish in Front Gardens
 Parking      Street Debris      Overgrown Plants & Trees      Rubbish in Front Gardens

Rubbish in Front Gardens

Untidy or overgrown front gardens are of no  concern to the council, provided they do not affect the road or pavement or that vermin are not present.

The recommended approach is to speak to the homeowner and hope that a polite approach can remedy the situation.

In the event that vermin or rodents are present, the council's environmental department should be contacted . They will inspect and report to the homeowner as to what action should be taken it would be wise to contact the homeowner before the council is approached.

A rat or mice infestation should  also be reported to the council - main switchboard no. 0208 726 6000.

For further advice Click here for the Council website pages on Pest Control.

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