This is a full report on a real Clapham proposal — the same structure, evidence depth, and defensibility our subscribers use before they commit capital. Scroll it, read it, ask the AI questions on the right. No sign-in.
The proposal at 48 Ferndale Road, Clapham, London SW4 7RH replaces a modest two-storey dwelling with a well-designed four-storey building of six residential units. On the balance of policy weight, comparable decisions, and site constraints, Rasmere assesses this scheme as approvable subject to conditions with a confidence score of 78/100.
The principal risk is the retention of two TPO trees within the red-line. Every recent refusal on this street cited the same policy (Q26). This risk is controllable but not ignorable — it demands an Arboricultural Impact Assessment pre-submission and a foundation design that demonstrably avoids root disturbance.
Rasmere's planning verdict weighs policy alignment (55%), comparable decisions (25%), constraint severity (15%), and site-specific planning history (5%). The composite score for this proposal is 78 — placing it in the "approvable with conditions" band (65–84).
Demolition of existing 2-storey dwelling. Erection of 4-storey building comprising 6 residential units (2×1B, 3×2B, 1×3B) with basement, roof terrace, cycle store and landscaped rear garden.
Massing steps back at fourth storey to match the eaves rhythm of the northern neighbour. Materiality — reconstituted stone plinth, London stock brick above, aluminium fenestration — is consistent with the recently approved 62 Ferndale Road (22/04118/FUL, see comparables).
Every material policy from the adopted Lambeth Local Plan (2021), the London Plan (2021) and the NPPF (December 2024) has been assessed against this proposal. The table below shows Rasmere's stance for each; expand a row for the citation and evidence trail (in a live subscriber report).
| Code | Plan | Policy | Stance |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Maximising housing growth | Aligned |
| H4 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Housing mix | Aligned |
| Q7 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Urban design: new development | Partial |
| Q11 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Building alterations and extensions | Aligned |
| Q26 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Trees | At risk |
| T3 | Lambeth Local Plan 2021 | Cycle storage | Aligned |
| D3 | London Plan 2021 | Optimising site capacity — design-led | Aligned |
| D9 | London Plan 2021 | Tall buildings | N/A |
| H10 | London Plan 2021 | Housing size mix | Partial |
| §11 | NPPF (Dec 2024) | Presumption in favour of sustainable development | Engaged |
Three prior applications on the red-line site, all granted. No refusals, no appeals, no enforcement notices. The 2019 loft-and-rear approval establishes the principle of intensified use, and no adverse officer commentary exists in the record.
Six directly comparable schemes have been decided within a 500 m radius since 2020; the three most instructive are shown here. Full comparables table with 47 fields available in the live report.
Every material planning constraint layered across a single interactive canvas. Static preview shown below; live subscribers pan, zoom, and toggle layers.
Every material risk quantified on the standard 3×3 scale (likelihood × impact), with a mitigation for each. Rasmere weights the composite score into the planning verdict.
| Risk | Likely | Impact | Score | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPO tree retention (Q26) | Med | High | 9 | Arboricultural Impact Assessment; foundation design demonstrating no root disturbance. |
| Daylight to No. 46 rear windows | Med | Med | 6 | BRE 209 study; recess upper-storey rear elevation by 900 mm. |
| Housing mix — 1B unit proportion | Low | Med | 4 | Reference to policy H10 flexibility clause; mix aligned to local need evidence base. |
| S106 affordable-housing tariff | High | Low | 4 | Provision budgeted; viability report prepared to defend if challenged. |
| Highways objection on parking | Low | Low | 2 | Car-free covenant offered; PTAL 6a supports. |
Rasmere's ordered next steps, front-loaded by leverage. Complete these before submission.
Every claim in this report is backed by primary evidence. Live subscribers see every source inline; the appendix listing is shown below.
Submit an address and a proposal type. Rasmere returns an institution-grade report — usually within an hour, every citation traceable to a primary source.