The plans to add an extra flo”or to both blocks at Robins Court in Chinbrook Road were approved by the council’s planning committee at its meeting on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The proposals, brought forward by Camden Court Management Limited, will see the removal of the existing roof and the construction of an additional storey to create 24 new duplex flats on top of the estate.
The development will also include car parking, cycle and refuse storage, and landscaping.
Almost 60 residents objected to the scheme, saying it will cause months of disruption, potential safety risks, and serious impacts on their quality of life.
Many also fear they may have to move out temporarily while work is carried out, even though the developer previously told neighbours that everyone would be able to remain in their homes.
At the meeting, planning agent Max Plotnek, representing the applicant, told the committee: “Since the deferral in March, our consulting engineers have undertaken further site visits, opened trial pits, and updated the structural survey.
“However, the structural integrity of a building is not a material planning consideration.
“National planning policy and your own officers’ report confirm that structural safety is dealt with through building regulations, not through planning.
“The applicant has taken a proportionate approach, with a robust feasibility-level survey and a commitment to full compliance with building control as the design is developed.
“The construction methodology has been designed so residents can remain safely in their homes throughout.
“In response to concerns raised in March about the rear fire escape staircases, these have been removed from the plans. This change reduces the external bulk and visual impact of the scheme.
“The proposal will deliver 24 new high-quality homes on an existing site, and we respectfully ask the committee to follow officers’ recommendation and grant permission.”
However, residents said their concerns had not been addressed and the promised full structural survey had still not been provided.
Speaking on behalf of more than 150 residents and leaseholders, Liam Tollinton told the meeting: “Two chartered engineers have reviewed the report submitted by the applicant, and it is not the full structural survey the committee requested.
“It still refers to itself as a feasibility study and contains serious errors. The report assumes the floors are made from concrete slabs, when in reality they are timber joists – many of which are rotting.
“That means the load calculations are wrong and the structure is weaker than claimed.
“We would expect the applicant to go out of their way to demonstrate that the proposed development is safe, but they have not done so.
“They have also refused to have their report independently verified. There has been no meaningful consultation with residents, and no plan to keep people safe and undisturbed during construction.
“This has been a pattern of incomplete and misleading information, and a disregard for residents’ safety.”
Resident Chiara, who has lived in Robins Court for 24 years, added: “We do not believe this project can be delivered safely or effectively.
“The applicant has failed to build trust, and every time they’ve been asked to produce evidence, they’ve fallen short.”
Several councillors said they sympathised with residents’ concerns but noted that their powers were limited.
Planning officers reminded the committee that structural safety falls under building control regulations, not the planning system.
Cllr Suzannah Clarke, Labour councillor for Grove Park, told the meeting: “When professionals say they’ll come back with a full structural survey, that’s what I would expect.
“There has been a lack of communication and trust-building with residents, and I’m disappointed by what has been presented.”
The committee voted to approve the application, subject to a legal agreement being completed.
The permission includes a requirement for the developer to work with residents when preparing a Construction Management Plan, aimed at minimising disruption during the works.
In a letter to planning officers and councillors released after the meeting, residents said they supported “responsible development” and recognised the need for housing, but warned that “rooftop intensification must not come at the expense of safety, dignity, and amenity for existing residents and leaseholders.”
They added: “A major error in the structural report submitted by the applicant – central to the assessment – appears to have been disregarded.
“Subject to the final decision notice, we are actively exploring the potential for a judicial review of the decision.”
