# 24 Eastwood Road, South Woodford

- **Decision:** allowed, 9 September 2026
- **Decided by:** Planning Inspector: L Gardner
- **Authority:** Redbridge (London)
- **Appeal reference:** 6010195
- **Application reference:** 0650/26
- **Procedure:** written-representations
- **Development:** Change of use from dwelling (C3) to small HMO (C4), five bedrooms
- **Site context:** inside-settlement
- **Green Belt:** no
- **Framework applied:** August 2026 NPPF
- **Determinative policies:** S4(1), S3
- **Development plan policies:** Redbridge Local Plan 2018 LP5, LP26, LP29, London Plan 2021 D6, H9, Housing Design SPD 2019
- **Main issues:** living conditions of occupiers, loss of family housing, HMO management
- **Tags:** s4-within-settlement, s4-approve, hmo, plan-conflict-overridden, parties-consulted-on-2026-framework

## Summary
Change of use of a four-bed house in South Woodford to a five-bed small HMO. **Allowed**, even though the inspector found a development plan conflict: one bedroom (6.7 sq m) was below the SPD minimum, conflicting with local plan and London Plan space standards. The inspector reasoned that the S4 balance is run against the Framework's *national decision-making policies*, and the undersized room did not conflict with any of them. The adverse effects therefore did not "substantially outweigh" the benefits, and the presumption carried the scheme.

## Issues and findings
- **Transition.** Parties were given the opportunity to comment (DL ¶4). Appeal-stage revised plans were rejected on Wheatcroft grounds (DL ¶3).
- **Living conditions: conflict with LP26, LP29, London Plan D6.** "The single bedroom annotated as room 2 would have a floor area of just 6.7m², falling short of the SPD requirements by some margin" (DL ¶7).
- **Loss of family housing: no conflict.** It "cannot follow that Policy LP5 … seeks only for the provision of family housing" (DL ¶12), and London Plan H9 recognises HMOs (DL ¶13).
- **S4.** "Whilst I have found that the appeal scheme would not provide adequate internal space for the future occupiers of room 2, this in itself does not represent specific conflict against the national decision-making policies in the Framework" (DL ¶26). "I therefore do not find that the adverse effects arising from the proposal would be so significant that they would substantially outweigh the benefits. In the context of Policy S3 … the presumption … applies" (DL ¶27).

## Planning balance
S4(1), used as the material consideration that outweighs a development plan conflict (DL ¶33). The benefits were a more effective use of land, housing mix, and local spending (DL ¶25). The adverse effect was one undersized room, which found no counterpart in the national decision-making policies.

## What made the difference
The inspector read S4(1)'s "when assessed against the national decision-making policies in this Framework" literally. A harm that breaches only a local space standard, with no matching Framework decision-making policy, carries little weight in the S4 balance. That was enough to override the development plan conflict. Contrast PINS-6010223 and PINS-6010197, where the harms mapped onto P3 and DP3/HE6 and the S4 balance went against the scheme.

## Transferable points
- The S4(1) adverse effects are those "assessed against the national decision-making policies". A local-standard breach with no Framework counterpart may not substantially outweigh housing benefits (DL ¶26-27).
- The S4 presumption can outweigh a development plan conflict under s38(6) (DL ¶33).
- A condition limiting HMO occupancy numbers is not realistically enforceable (DL ¶32).

## Policy findings
- **S4(1): pass.** undersized bedroom (6.7 sq m against 7.5 sq m SPD) conflicts with the local plan but "does not represent specific conflict against the national decision-making policies", so adverse effects do not substantially outweigh benefits (DL 24-27)
- **HO5: benefit.** HMO diversifies the housing mix for single people and sharers; more effective use of land (DL 18, 25)
- **DM6: neutral.** occupancy cap and communal-space conditions refused as unenforceable; management plan by condition (DL 30-32)

## Key facts
- Room 2 of 6.7 sq m below the 7.5 sq m SPD minimum; conflict with LP26, LP29 and London Plan D6 found
- Loss of a 4-bed family house not harmful; under the 20% HMO street threshold
- Allowed despite development plan conflict via S4 "substantially outweighed" test

## Sources
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6010195
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/published-document/9925c1dd-a1bb-4aca-85d2-73ad1b1b239b

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Source: https://planningdistilled.org/research/england/nppf-navigator/decisions/PINS-6010195.html

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