Fury over residents’ IDs used to back planning application – Inside Croydon

KEN LEE reports on a disturbing development involving an HMO development in Selhurst

An attempt to get planning permission to turn a run-down office block in Selhurst into a house in multiple occupation, or HMO, has been thrown into doubt following what is believed to be a serious breach of personal data , with residents’ information being used without theirs. consent to create false claim support requests.

The move to change use to an 11-bedroom, 16-occupant HMO – including the provision of parking, cycle storage, communal garden and rubbish storage – at 1-11 Neville Road has been ‘backed’ by residents who were not up to the task that their details were taken by someone and added to the application, which was submitted in early May.

Selhurst ward councilors Catherine Wilson and Mohammed Islam are concerned. In a neighborhood WhatsApp group, Councilor Islam communicated his anger at the “alarming” move that “needs a thorough investigation”.

Residents have been alerted to the misuse of personal details by long-term Neville Road resident Rebecca Reeves. Catherine Graham, who lives in Sydenham Road – and one of the residents within a 10-minute radius of the enforcement site – says she was shocked when Reeves came to the front door with a list of those who allegedly they gave “approval” to the application.

Home HMO: the disused offices on Neville Road that a mysterious developer wants to turn into housing

“I was horrified to be told that our address had been used without my knowledge or permission,” Graham said Inside Croydon.

“Not only that, but whoever did this got our postcode wrong. I had never heard of this project and now I will object.

“I’m actually concerned to think how many other applications have been approved based on false backer identities. I know they are not verified because the council has not contacted us to verify this use of our identity.”

The project is run by an agent in Bromley, meaning the actual beneficiary of the scheme is unknown. Reeves has strong arguments against conversion.

“Since the HMOs came on Neville Road there have been two stabbings on the road. They bring nothing useful to the area or the road; they bring drugs, unsociable behaviour, alcohol and burglaries to an area that is meant to be ‘up and coming’.

“The thought of having another HMO on a small road seems bizarre and revolting to me.

“On Neville Road we have very limited parking, so inviting 16 tenants in is going to be a lot of wrangling for parking spaces.

“In my 21 years of living on the road, I have never felt safer leaving my home.

“I have a very young grandson who likes to play in the garden and if this HMO goes ahead she will not be able to do this as the applicant wants to remove our very high fence and replace it with a smaller fence where people can do. see in our garden.”

Reeves says he has spoken to Croydon Mayor Jason Perry, who told him he does not want more HMOs in the area as they have a negative impact on the community. Which ignores the quasi-judicial nature of the planning system, where Mayor Perry is supposed to have no say over individual applications.

Mayor Perry has said nothing, however, about the serious allegation that the planning system he presides over has effectively been “gamed” by a version of identity fraud, with residents’ details being misused without their knowledge or permission and without council officials . performing any checks.

Inside Croydon – If you want real journalism, delivering real news, from a publication that is based in the borough, please consider paying for it. Sign up today: Click here for more details

• If you have a story about life in or around Croydon, or want to advertise your residents’ association or business, or have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@ btinternet.com

• As featured on Google News Showcase

• ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s most rotten boroughs for the seventh consecutive year in the annual summary of civic advertising in Private magazine