Developer told to demolish ‘ugly’ flats

A developer who presided over the construction of a block of flats in south London that “bears no resemblance to the planning permission he was given” has been told to tear down the entire structure and build the consented scheme.

Wandsworth council said the developer behind Mauritius House, a four-storey development in Earlsfield, had sought to shoe-horn in extra bedrooms to flats granted permission in 2008 by using the building’s basement to provide two additional properties.

It said that instead of the nine one-bedroom flats and three two-bedroom properties the permission granted, the unnamed developer had built eight two-bedroom homes and four one-bedroom units in a scheme that required alteration to the appearance of the block and was delivered with non-consented materials.

Wandsworth said windows had been removed or altered leaving vast expanses of bare brick that gave the block an “ugly” appearance and that most of the flats were too small and had sub-standard amenity space.

The council said the unauthorised basement flats had “little or no natural light” and had also suffered from flooding, which was the main reason low-level development would never have been permitted on the site.

Sarah McDermott, chairman of Wandsworth’s Planning Committee said the case was “shocking” and that the council was requiring the developer to demolish the current building and construct the consented design within the next seven months.

“The building really is an eyesore that does not meet any design standards,” she said.

“On top of that he has crammed in way too much residential space leaving tenants in cramped and sub-standard accommodation.

“Worst of all the basement flats are in a well-known flood plain and as a consequence people living there have twice been flooded out, losing valuable possessions and suffering quite avoidable pain and upset.

“It is difficult to recall a more outrageous flouting of the planning laws and for doing so I’m afraid he must remove what is there and replace it with a new building that conforms to design standards and provides the people living there with proper facilities and appropriate living space.”

Property website Zoopla indicates that individual flats in the Mauritius Building have sold for up to £450,000, with the most recent transaction in January 2015.

The proposals granted planning permission were drawn up by FORM Design Architecture, which trades as FORM Studio.