EXTENSION TO A BLOCK OF FLATS IN CRYSTAL PALACE
An area of approximately 75 sq m at the rear of a Victorian terrace in the village of Crystal Palace in South London was occupied only by a metal spiral escape stair serving the dwellings on the 1st and 2nd floors of the building but was otherwise unused and was subject to dumping of rubbish. The property owner asked for a report on the feasibility of developing this area for residential accommodation. We demonstrated that it would be feasible to develop the land to provide two single-storey, single-person apartments, or a single 2-storey 2-person house. Such smaller dwellings, of as little as 26 sq m, termed ‘move-on’ homes, are currently being considered by the local authorities as a sensible use of sites like this, which provide established community and infrastructure. As of August 2015 the Mayor of London’s Plan includes provisions for single person dwellings of less than 37 sq m ‘if the development proposal is of exemplary design and contributes to achievement of other objectives and policies’. The site lies within the Crystal Palace Conservation Area but given the modest size of the building proposed, and the medium level of architectural quality of the existing buildings, it was considered the proposal would preserve and enhance its architectural qualities.