Have your say on the making of an Article 4 Direction to withdraw the permitted development right for changes of use from dwellinghouses to small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) within Streatham Common & Vale and Streatham St Leonard’s

The Proposal

The Council has made a non-immediate Article 4 Direction to remove the Class L(b) permitted development right within the wards of Streatham Common & Vale and Streatham St Leonard’s. The removal of the Class L(b) permitted development right means that planning permission is required for the change of use from a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to a small House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) (Use Class C4) in these two wards. 

The Council is required to undertake public consultation on the making of any Article 4 Direction for a period of at least 21 days. Lambeth is extending this period to 8 weeks to allow more time for submission of representations. 

Background information / Purpose of consultation 

With effect from 1 October 2010, the Government introduced a new permitted development right allowing the change of use from residential (Use Class C3) to small HMO (Use Class C4). The permitted development right means that it is possible to make a change of use from a dwellinghouse to a small HMO without the need to apply to the local planning authority for planning permission. 

Lambeth Council is now seeking to make exemptions so dwellinghouses in the wards of Streatham Common & Vale and Streatham St Leonard’s do not benefit from this permitted development right. The Council is doing so through the introduction of an Article 4 Direction. 

On 7 August 2024, the Council made a non-immediate Article 4 Direction withdrawing the Class L(b) change of use permitted development right within those two wards.  

Notice of the making of the Article 4 Direction has also been given by press advertisement and site notices. 

Further information and documents relevant to this consultation are available on Lambeth’s Class L(b) Article 4 Direction webpage. 

If you wish to inspect a hard copy of the sealed Article 4 Direction and the maps showing the extent of the land affected, these can be inspected in person by sending an email to planningpolicy@lambeth.gov.uk or phoning 0207 926 1880 and arranging a time to view them at Lambeth Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1EG between 9:30am and 4:30pm Mondays to Fridays. 

Next steps after consultations closes

Once the consultation concludes, the Council must consider all the representations received before deciding whether or not to confirm the Article 4 Direction. If confirmed, the Direction would come into force 12 months after the Direction is made.