158 Purley Downs Road – Retaining walls (and garden sizes etc)
Dear Croydon Borough Council,
In recommending that the details submitted as part of planning application 22/01027/DISC were NOT APPROVED, in September 2022 the case officer commented as follows:
“The site level detail is unclear … including whether retaining walls are needed and how this would impact on neighbours properties and the proposed residential properties including the useable space of the rear garden areas.”
The ‘Boundary Report’ submitted as part of application 25/00561/NMA includes a copy of Landpoint Surveying’s drawing (T1502 A2) dated 15 May 2024, which shows the location of the new ‘boundary’ fencing and retaining walls to the rear of Block B (Units 5-7). Photographs within the Report appear to tally with the survey in this regard.
However, drawing 20.045.500C (by Harp & Harp Ltd and dated ‘Jan 25’), which was APPROVED (without consultation) under application 25/00562/NMA on 25 March 2025, shows the fence and retaining walls in a very DIFFERENT position, giving the impression that the useable garden space (at least for Units 6 and 7) was (and presumably remains) significantly larger than in reality.
+++ Please provide any information that might explain why the Council has accepted Harp & Harp’s version of the ‘facts’, rather than those established by Landpoint Surveying in May 2024.
Yours faithfully,
Stephen Whiteside
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[email address]
Dear Stephen Whiteside
Request FOI/12239
Further to your request received on 15/04/2025, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Environmental Information
Regulations. Specifically, you have requested the following information:
"In recommending that the details submitted as part of planning
application 22/01027/DISC were NOT APPROVED, in September 2022 the case
officer commented as follows: "The site level detail is unclear …
including whether retaining walls are needed and how this would impact on
neighbours properties and the proposed residential properties including
the useable space of the rear garden areas.”
The ‘Boundary Report" submitted as part of application 25/00561/NMA
includes a copy of Landpoint Surveying"s drawing (T1502 A2) dated 15 May
2024, which shows the location of the new ‘boundary" fencing and retaining
walls to the rear of Block B (Units 5-7). Photographs within the Report
appear to tally with the survey in this regard.
However, drawing 20.045.500C (by Harp & Harp Ltd and dated ‘Jan 25"),
which was APPROVED (without consultation) under application 25/00562/NMA
on 25 March 2025, shows the fence and retaining walls in a very DIFFERENT
position, giving the impression that the useable garden space (at least
for Units 6 and 7) was (and presumably remains) significantly larger than
in reality.
+++ Please provide any information that might explain why the Council has
accepted Harp & Harp"s version of the ‘facts", rather than those
established by Landpoint Surveying in May 2024."
Observations made by a Council Officer during a site visit confirmed the
accuracy of dwg. 20.045.500C.
The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)
To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:
[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)
If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Environmental Information Regulations Act, you may ask for an
internal review. This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of
this response. You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint
by:
Email: [2][email address]
Writing: Information Team
London Borough of Croydon
Bernard Weatherill House
Floor 3 - Zone E
8 Mint Walk
Croydon, CR0 1EA
Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Information Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House,
Mint Walk,
Croydon,
CR0 1EA
[3][email address]
References
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1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. mailto:[email%20address]
Dear Croydon Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Croydon Borough Council's handling of my FOI request '158 Purley Downs Road – Retaining walls (and garden sizes etc)'.
You tell me that "Observations made by a Council Officer during a site visit confirmed the accuracy of dwg. 20.045.500C."
I note that if drawing 20.045.500C is indeed 'accurate', it would appear to conflict with the Tree Protection Plan (2106/51/TPP) approved under application 22/04752/DISC, specifically (although not necessarily solely) with regard to the 'construction exclusion zone' to the rear of Units 6 and 7, supposedly protecting the roots of T2 and T3 on the adjoining property.
Please provide the following information:
a) the date of that site visit,
b) copies of any photographs taken (and/or notes made) at the time to verify this claim,
c) the details of the 'Council officer' concerned, and
d) if the officer at (c) was not the case officer (Demetri Prevatt), copies of any correspondence between the two officers regarding this matter, including conflicts with other approved drawings/documents such as (but not restricted to) that described above).
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/1...
Yours faithfully,
Stephen Whiteside
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