New supermarket owners have sparked outrage after building a ‘tin conservatory’ outside their shop, surrounding the front door of residents living upstairs.
The structure, used to house fresh fruit and vegetables, was erected without planning permission, leaving locals frustrated.
The sudden development has raised concerns about the lack of communication between the supermarket and the residents above, who previously had direct, unobstructed access to the high street. Last week, residents were shocked to see the new structure appear overnight outside Cheam Arena supermarket on London Road.
The fixed structure, complete with wiring, shutters, and lighting, was installed by the shop’s new owner, Elif Food, who took over earlier this year. Described by one as a ‘tin conservatory’, it replaced a retractable grocer’s awning, which allowed easy access to the front door.
Now, what was once a clear path has turned into a shuttered alleyway, and residents were not notified of the change. This created what the residents’ association member Richard Johnson called an ‘enclosure’ outside the shop.
Mr Johnson said: “The worst thing about it is what you can’t see, which is that you have got people that live in the flats above and their only access is from the front.
“They don’t have rear access, and at the moment, they are being fobbed off with the line that the council has said yes to the development, but they clearly haven’t.”
He spoke about how one resident living above came home and was shocked to find the structure built around their front door. He added: “The resident got the double shock of seeing that structure there and also finding people sitting in their doorway.”
To make matters worse, this structure was put up without planning permission from Sutton Council. Permission for ‘less invasive’ awnings was rejected back in 2020 before permission was given to the former owners for simple wall-mounted awnings six months later.
Mr Johnson said: “You would have thought that if even something like that got a no, then something like what they have done now will obviously be a no. What they have done now is far removed from anything really, and they have created an enclosure that has just been dropped in front of the shops.”
“None of it should be there, certainly without a planning application. I have never known about anything like this being passed.”
Its sudden emergence late last week drew a mixed response from residents. Some vented their disgust on Facebook, with Becky Dinnage commenting: “Oh my, this is horrendous for the people living above.”
However, others have been more optimistic. Facebook user Gemma Putney said: “I think it looks lovely, much better than seeing boxes of fruit and veg scattered around all over the place.”
Mr Johnson noted that Sutton Council’s enforcement team had acted quickly against other businesses that erected ‘less invasive’ structures outside their premises in the past. One infraction included a nearby Italian restaurant, which was forced to remove several tables and chairs outside.
Mr Johnson added: “If they are going to come down heavy on chairs and tables, you would think this sort of thing would top the list.”
The shop’s owners later confirmed their lack of permission when questioned by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Co-owner Serap Yumak said the decision to build the new structure was necessary as they had no room to store the produce inside the shop.
She also claimed the awnings used by the former owner were leading to damage to the shop’s stock. “We needed to act quick,” she said.
She went on to say: “We had a few problems with the old canopy; it would fly away in headwinds and would let water damage our stock below.
“We would come down to crates ruined by the water from all the rain that came earlier this year when we took over the shop. Residents upstairs would also throw cigarette butts onto the canopy.”
She did not apologise for creating the new structure and insisted they had not obstructed the pavement outside, as it was all done on their premises. She confirmed that they would soon apply for retrospective planning permission for the structure and that they would appeal if this permission were not granted by Sutton Council.
Mr Yumak admitted that the residents living upstairs did not get notice of the plans to build the new structure and apologised for what she saw as an oversight. She also pushed back on the claim that the new building negatively affected access to their front doors.
Residents now have to pass under the structure to reach their front door. However, shop staff confirmed that shutters will be lowered at the end of the day, and a door will be opened 24/7 to maintain access without compromising the shop’s security.
The shop, which will change its name to Elif Food Centre in the next few months, is also planning to apply for its first-ever alcohol licence. This is part of Yumak’s plans to expand the shop, which has other branches across London.
Despite this, the shop is currently under investigation by Sutton Council’s planning team, and the fate of the new structure remains uncertain.
A Sutton Council spokesperson said: “We understand that residents are concerned, and we are investigating the situation at Cheam Arena as a priority.
“The Planning Enforcement team received complaints from residents on this issue at the end of last week and our officers are checking the planning history at the site, what has been built and also talking to those responsible.
“The council will then decide whether any formal enforcement action is needed.”
