You might remember the saga of the roof terraces at St Joseph’s in Madeira Road – well sadly for all those concerned, it’s continuing.
When permission was granted for the development, the case officer involved, (Andrew Pegram at the time) explicitly stated that the roof spaces could NOT be used as amenity areas, ie used at all.
Of course, Mr Jennings ignored this and went ahead regardless, even promoting them in the estate agent details as sun terraces and adding a tidy amount to the price tag.
Rumbled
After Jennings was rumbled that he’d built beyond permission (let’s not forget the increased height of the building too), he submitted a new planning application requesting that they be used as roof terraces. Under delegated powers, a split decision was made – the roof terrace which overlooked immediate neighbours was refused and the other drastically reduced in size.
Put beyond use
A condition was attached that the roof terrace that was refused be put beyond use, by filling it in, recognising that if this didn’t happen, anyone who bought the flat would just use them as roof gardens.
Not happy with this result, Jennings then requested that the condition be lifted as he didn’t want to fill in the space.
We were told by the new Planning officer, Russell Chick, that he was going to refuse Jennings’ request.
Wasting tax-payers money
Let’s not forget that each time that these requests go in, the time of the planning officer is taken up, costing tax payers money. On top of this there’s also the time of those who live in the area who have to keep saying why these things shouldn’t go ahead.
So what did Jennings do next?
Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate to have the Planning Department’s decision reversed.
Yes folks, this is the man who not only doesn’t seem to understand the word NO (even after he’s heard it officially on three separate occasions), but we think, has difficulty sticking to his word.
My word is not my bond
Back about a year ago, Jennings sent a letter to local residents saying “We are determined to do everything we can to maintain good community relations. Contrary to the opinion you may hold of me personally I regard this as a higher importance that profit.”
Quite how he thinks this balances with his actions, which cause considerable distress to those he promised good relations to, is beyond us.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, because the condition to fill in the roof garden hasn’t been enforced by the planning department, the space is now being used by people living on the site (another further breach of the planning conditions, but more on that later).
The fact that the roof terrace is being used (directly infringing neighbouring property’s privacy), is clear sign that the patio doors leading onto the space have to be removed and replaced with windows (a point we have made to the planning department several times and as far back as August 2007) and that the flat roof should be replaced with a pitched roof that cannot be used at a later date.
Your chance to comment
Comments on the appeal by Jennings have to be in with Planning Inspectorate by 27 May.
If you’re like us and are fed up with the behaviour of property developers who think that they can get away with whatever they feel like and want to comment on this application, you can do so on the Planning Inspectorate Website, even if you’re just an interested party.
