A South London council has approved plans to turn a family home into a shared house, despite neighbours calling the change “disgusting” and saying parking in the area is already so bad they have to drive on the pavement.

A house in Eltham will be converted into a shared house for six people, after an application was approved by Greenwich Council.

The change to the house on Leverholme Gardens was raised at a council meeting in November 2022, but the decision was deferred to allow councillors to visit the site.

Labour Councillor Pat Greenwell said at a planning meeting for Greenwich Council on Tuesday that she was concerned about parking spots in the area after visiting the site.

She said: “There were cars parallel parked, like a train with carriages, all the way down Jason Walk.

"And my concern is that I still think there could be an issue with parking.”

Susan Swan, a neighbour of the house, said at the Greenwich Council meeting last November that the plans were “disgusting” and that traffic in the area was already so bad she had to drive on the pavement outside her mum’s house when visiting her.

Another local, who said she had lived on the road for 61 years, said the plans were “terrible” and “noisy” and would harm the chances of her selling her house.

Eleanor Mack Briggs, planning officer for Greenwich Council, said at the Tuesday meeting: “The survey shows that while there is heavy demand for parking locally, the roads are not excessively stressed, and they could accommodate a limited number of additional vehicles parking.”

Cllr Greenwell also said she disagreed with planning officers that the change would not impact residents in the area.

She said: “That house is unique because it’s surrounded. It’s got houses in Jason Walk to the right of it, and it’s got houses and gardens facing it.

"And I think that residents who have lived there for a long, long time are going to have their amenities spoiled. We don’t know.”

The applicant’s business manager, who runs another HMO in Bromley, said he treats applicants wishing to live in his properties as if he was living next door to them.

He said: “We only ever take on single occupants in full-time employment, we’re very strict on that… When people do apply, and visit, a lot of people don’t even make it past the phone call.

“I’ll be honest with you, and this is just the reality of it, because if I get the impression that the character of the person is not particularly pleasant then they won’t even get to visit the property.”

The decision to convert the house on Leverholme Gardens was approved by the planning committee by a 4-1 vote, on the condition that it can only be used to house six people.

Labour Councillor Gary Dillon also suggested that the applicant’s manager give his contact details to residents in the area, in case any issues with the property should arise.