Below is the text of a letter which we are distributing to residents in and around Fryston Avenue.  We think the issue is an important one for all members and residents.

Dear neighbour                                                                     

15 Fryston Avenue

A revised planning application (the third application in two years relating to this address) for the demolition of the bungalow and the erection of two four bedroom houses was lodged on 24 February.  There were nine objections to this application including one from the SPRA and from one of our councillors, Eddy Arram. 

Cllr Arram also emailed a request for referral of the application to a meeting of the full Planning Committee; unfortunately this email was not received by the Planning Department and a delegated decision was made to grant this application.  This means that the residents most affected by this development have lost their right to voice their objections to it. 

We have been informed by the Head of Planning that the Department is changing the ward member (councillor) referral procedure, suggesting to us that the current system is not fit for purpose.

Whether you are in favour of or against the application, your right to be heard is an absolute prerequisite for accountable local government.  The SPRA believes that at the very least Croydon Council and its representatives are guilty of maladministration in this matter in that the Planning Department was aware of Cllr Arram’s objections to previous applications and did not exhaust all avenues of communication with him.  

We believe that the planning permission should be rescinded and that the application should be referred to the full Planning Committee thus restoring the status quo.

Croydon Council have declined to do this, leaving us with only one option: to seek a judicial review asking a judge to overturn their decision.  This is not quite as daunting as it sounds; we could make this application ourselves as litigants in person. 

Should you, as local residents directly affected by this application, have your democratic right of representation taken away from you because of administrative failures by Croydon Council? 

We are asking that you make your views about pursuing a judicial review known to me as Chairman by either emailing me at chairman@thespra.org.uk or telephoning me on 020 8405 3338.  Let us know what you think.  This is a fluid and fast moving situation and in fairness to all sides we have to move swiftly – please let us have your opinion by Wednesday, 2 June.

We believe this is a potentially very important issue.  Planning department decisions are decisions that affect local communities indefinitely and therefore the planners must be seen to have done everything that they possibly could have to ensure that local objections are dealt with fairly.  That is not what happened in this case.  Administrations come and go but we – the neighbourhood – are the ones who have to live with the bad decisions that planning departments make.

Yours sincerely

James Maloney

Chairman