Dorchester Court

London Borough of Redbridge

Dorchester Court was a single-storey airspace development set on top of two existing three-storey blocks, to create six new units for our client. The site had already been through two refused planning applications and a dismissed appeal with a previous property consultant, so we used our knowledge of the planning system to guide our client to the approval they needed.

By analysing the planning barriers, fully assessing the site history, and defining the design adaptations required, we were able to determine a strategy that would succeed where previous attempts had failed.

The challenges this project faced centred around three key areas:

• Lack of Parking and Amenity Space. The council cited concerns about parking provision and
  a loss of shared outdoor space in the previous designs, so this needed to be addressed.
• Significant Local Opposition. Residents of both the existing blocks and the surrounding area
  consistently objected to the airspace development in writing and at the planning committee.
• Misalignment with Council Priorities. Previous applications were not aligned with the
  council’s housing priorities, increasing the likelihood of pushback.

Step one to finding a solution involved addressing the design issues that had been cited by the council as reason for the previous rejections. We advised our client to increase the amount of outdoor space shared with the existing block residents and to add more parking space to their designs.

Following this we identified that:

• The London Borough of Redbridge was unable to demonstrate a five-year housing supply, a key planning consideration that we could use to strengthen our case.
• As a result, there was a high likelihood that family housing would be the council’s priority, meaning three-bedroom units were less likely to face resistance.
• A phased planning application approach would reduce risk, allowing us to secure a fallback permission before reapplying for the unit numbers and form that met our client’s expectations.

The success of this project was in the strategy, not just the application process. We structured our approach into two clear phases, each step designed to reduce risk and maximise the site’s potential:

Phase 1: Planning Application for Four Units

• Adapt Application to Family Units. To reduce risk we needed to provide our client with a fallback position, and knowing London Borough of Redbridge’s likely priority for family units we advised our client to revise the proposal from six one- and two-bedroom units to a focus on family-sized homes – four three-bedroom units instead – as this had the best chance of approval. This was also all part of our strategy for Phase 2.
• Build a Specialist Team. To strengthen the application further we assembled a specialist project team, including a transport consultant and a daylight consultant to ensure that key technical objections were thoroughly reviewed and addressed before submission.
• Utilise Titled Balance. Knowing the council’s position on a lack of a five-year housing supply and their need for family housing, we were able to keep the planning committee focused on policy considerations rather than local and neighbour objections.
• Secure Approval. Our planning application was successful following a recommendation to approve by the council’s officers.

Phase 2: Use of Prior Approval for Six Units

• Utilise Permitted Development Rights. With permission in place for four three-bedroom units, we submitted a prior approval application under Part 20 of the Permitted Development Order to get the permission our client actually wanted, for a six-unit scheme.
• Leverage Approved Scheme. Due to all the adaptations we’d originally advised our client to make before Phase 1’s planning application, the design for this six-unit scheme remained consistent with the approved four-unit scheme, making objections harder to justify.
• Secure Approval. Once again, approval was granted because we knew that the use of prior approval under Part 20 meant that any remaining factors that had led to a rejection on the original applications were now no longer relevant considerations.

By phasing the approvals, we minimised planning risk while still delivering the scheme our client wanted.

• Planning Permission Secured: Achieved approval at planning committee despite strong local
  opposition.
• Strategic Housing Mix: Recommended family-sized units to align with the London Borough of
  Redbridge’s priorities, significantly improving our approval chances.
• Successful Prior Approval: Used Permitted Development Rights to increase unit numbers
  while avoiding a new full planning application.
• Airspace Development: Helped our client to create a development that added a whole new
  storey on top of two existing, connected, three-storey blocks.

Since this project, we have worked on five more airspace schemes with this client in the last year alone, with more in the pipeline. Our ability to navigate planning barriers, anticipate council priorities, and structure planning applications in a way that minimises risk has led to what is now a rewarding long-term working relationship

By rethinking the planning strategy, structuring the planning application process effectively, and using
Permitted Development Rights at the right stage, we secured approvals where previous attempts had failed. This project is a clear example of how we were able to use specialist knowledge of the system to unlock new opportunities for our clients’ sites.