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Plans to convert property on edge of town centre into HMO approved

An application to convert a property on the edge of the town centre into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for seven people has been granted.

The plans for the property in the Derby Road area of Wrexham were put to planning committee members on Monday.

Whitegate councillor Brian Cameron urged members to either refuse the application or carry out a site visit due to see the existing safety and parking issues on the road.

Cllr Cameron said: “Derby Road is a very busy road and there are HGV wagons that go to and from units. Two to three years ago due to the weight of some of the vehicles the road gave way and work had to be done.

“My concern is 24 Derby Road isn’t far from the junction of Kingsmills Road and parking is already very difficult in that area.

“The report talks about parking on the site – my view of parking on the site is if they don’t reverse on, how are they going to get back onto the highway? There is no room to manoeuvre.

“It’s safety in my opinion. It is very close to a junction and there is a lot of parking on the opposite side of the road. There is very little room for parking and it is a very busy junction. It is one of the busiest roads you can have.

“The last thing I would want to see is an accident on that road.”

Cllr Adrienne Jeorrett, who represents the neighbouring Smithfield ward, said she could not support the application due to the existing traffic on the road and the speed heading towards the Kingsmills junction.

However chairman of the committee, Cllr Michael Morris, said the chances of a refusal from the committee being overturned at appeal stage are “great” as the plans meet the council’s standards.

Planning officer Matthew Phillips said that the application had been recommended for approval and that four parking spaces would be provided on the site.

It was also suggested by the council’s highways department that a condition to remove a section of the boundary wall to make manoeuvring in and out of the site easier was put in place.

A recommendation that the committee visited the site was rejected, with seven councillors to six voting in favour of the application subject to the above condition being put in place.

Source: Wrexham

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Appeal over Wrexham HMO plans is kicked out

An appeal against the rejection of plans to extend a house in multiple occupation (HMO) has been thrown out.

Wrexham Council denied permission to increase the number of bedrooms at a property on Poplar Road in the town from six to eight in October.

Owner Arran Pritchard later launched an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds that the authority did not decide on his application within the relevant timescale.

However, an inspector appointed by the Welsh Government has upheld the council’s decision.

Siân Worden said she felt it would impact on the safety of drivers at a busy junction.

She said: “The appeal property is in a busy area where there are widespread parking restrictions and many of the dwellings do not have off-street parking. There thus appears to be a high demand for on-street spaces.

“The proposed development would result in a small increase in the number of vehicles requiring parking spaces in the vicinity.

“Even so, it would increase the hazard on the local road network, and reduce its efficient use, by resulting in more drivers searching for a parking space.

“The proposed development would not make sufficient provision for parking or for a turning area.

“It would thus be detrimental to safety and the efficient use of the highway in the immediate area.”

The proposed development would need spaces for five car parking spaces.

However, Ms Worden said she it was unclear how many spaces were allocated to the property.

She said: “There are no parking spaces marked out and it is not clear how many cars can reasonably be parked there at the moment, taking into account that vehicles should be able to enter or leave each parking space even if other parking spaces are occupied.

“It is possible that three or even four parked cars would fit within the space without blocking each other in.

“They could not, however, turn and leave the parking area in a forward gear.

“Those parking at the existing HMO are likely to have to reverse out at the moment.

“Nonetheless, if the proposal necessitated additional such manoeuvres these would be harmful to the safety of pedestrians and other road users.”

Source: Wrexham

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Proposals for town centre HMO backed for approval despite parking concerns

Proposals to convert a property on the edge of Wrexham town centre into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been backed for approval.

The recommendation has been made by officers at Wrexham Council despite concerns that the plans for the house on Derby Road will lead to an increase in traffic.

Community councillors have also said it could cause parking difficulties on a busy route in the town, which is close to Eagles Meadow shopping centre.

However, the authority’s head of environment and planning has advised politicians that the change of use should be given the green light.

In a report, Lawrence Isted said: “Local planning guidance advises that the maximum parking required for the proposed use is four spaces which is one more space than the maximum requirements for the existing use.

“The applicant has amended the original scheme to provide four on-site parking spaces side by side with a limited turning area.
“The site is extremely sustainable being located some 1km from the town centre within which there is access to local shopping provision, various bus services and the railway station.

“There are no reasons to resist this proposal on the grounds of highway safety.”

One neighbouring resident raised concerns about the type of tenant that would be housed in the property.

In response, Mr Isted said the occupation of a HMO is not restricted to any particular type of person.
He said: “There are no planning or housing regulatory reasons why a HMO proposal should be refused on the grounds of any particular type of person occupying the property.

“The transiency of occupiers would not result in any detriment to the social fabric of the area.”

The proposals will be considered by Wrexham Council’s planning committee on Monday 7 January.

Source: Wrexham

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Hightown HMO plans rejected after residents warn of impact on their community

Plans to create a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Wrexham have been rejected after residents warned it would tear their community apart.

Proposals were submitted to Wrexham Council to convert an existing house on Beechley Road in Hightown to accommodate a total of seven people.
However, after members of the authority’s planning committee carried out a site visit today, they chose to go against the advice of officers and refused the application. They were greeted at the property by members of the Beechley Road Residents’ Association carrying placards, including one which read ‘Don’t Turn Beechley Road Into A Ghetto’.

Neighbours raised a number of concerns about the plans, including issues over parking and fly tipping as a result of the six existing HMOs on the street.
They have previously presented a petition with 90 signatures against the development.

John Harding, chair of the association, said: “A line has to be drawn somewhere to ensure the quality of life of long term residents is maintained, and in our opinion this is where the line should be drawn.

“There has already been an adverse impact on house prices in the road as a result of decisions taken in the past by the planning department.

“This deterioration can only accelerate given the authority’s perceived plan of allowing properties in the road to become nothing more than cheap accommodation for short term residents and the problems they bring with them.

“We see this as a direct attack on our future and will do our utmost to prevent this from happening.”

After committee members returned to the Guildhall, they were told that the proposals complied with all of the council’s policies.

Chair Mike Morris warned that valid grounds would need to be found for refusal.

But several politicians voiced their frustration at the increasing number of HMOs, including the area’s councillor Graham Rogers, he said: “Having visited the site, and I know the site very well, my concerns are still on parking and the four spaces, the double yellow lines at a very busy junction, the speeds at excess of what they are supposed to be and 90 residents have signed a petition which we should take the cognisance of.”

He was supported by Cllr Paul Jones, who said: “It’s very disappointing that our planning policy and planning guidance is inflicting yet another HMO on a community in Wrexham. The area is not saturated with HMOs, but it’s going in the wrong direction. HMOs done in the wrong way cause considerable problems for that community.

“It will be the people in that community baring the consequences whichever way it goes.”

Cllr Rogers said the plans should be refused on the grounds of parking and access, despite being told the highways department had no issues.

His recommendation was backed by eight votes to four.

Source: Wrexham

Leicestershire landlord Brent landlord
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Leicestershire Landlord Prosecuted For Faulty Investment Property

A Leicestershire landlord was prosecuted after he converted a home into three flats without planning permission and without a fire escape.

Landlord Satwinder Singh Phull converted a Glenfield property into three flats ‘without planning permission or building regulations approval.’The home was ‘considered to be’ a house in multiple occupation (HMO). It was inspected by Blabby District Council’s environmental health team in October last year, with a follow up visit some days later from a prevision office from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service (LFRS).

Three live exposed electrical conductors were revealed in one flat, with two of these at a reachable height. Mr Phull was also unable to state which electricity supply fed lights in communal areas as well as which fed the boiler. There were also ‘insufficient’ waste disposal facilities and no ‘adequate fire escape’ for any of the flats should a fire occur. This led to fire officers declaring that that the property ‘posed an imminent risk of serious harm to any occupants due to the inadequate fire escape’.

Two emergency prohibition orders were subsequently issued and two of the flats were ‘immediately prevented from being used as residential accommodation’.

At Leicester Magistrates’ Court, Mr Phull’s barrister defended him, claiming that his client was ‘not a professional landlord’.

Mr Phull had also since carried out work on the property in order to ensure that the prohibition notices were removed. However, he was fined £4,250 after being convicted of four offences under the Housing Act. Mr Phull was also told to pay council costs of £867 as well as a victim surcharge of £125. The total fines amounted to £5,242 to be paid in £500 instalments.

Portfolio holder for leisure and regulatory services at Blaby District Council, Iain Hewson, stated: ‘This ruling once again highlights our message to landlords that we will not tolerate poor living conditions in the district. As the owner of a hotel Mr Phull should be fully aware of fire safety, particularly in the wake of terrible tragedies such as the Grenfell Tower incident. We urge anyone living in rented accommodation that thinks may not comply with the law to contact us so we can investigate.’

Source: Residential Landlord

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Planning application for student flats at former Debenhams building withdrawn

A planning application to build student flats at the Castle Hill Arcade in Bangor (the former Debenhams building) has been withdrawn by developers.

Bangor City Council had objected to the development on the grounds that it would be an over-development and that additional student accommodation in the area is unnecessary.

Previous plans to build 65 student flats at the site were rejected by Gwynedd Council after concerns about the amount of student housing in Bangor.

The new plans would have retained the ground floor of the building as retail units with the 49-bed student accommodation to the upper floors and an extension at the rear of the building.

The developer, John Sutton from Manchester, had said the project would help free up housing for local families and boost the city centre economy.

The planning statement said: “It is considered that by providing purpose built student accommodation, the housing stock which has been converted into Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and occupied by students can be returned back to their original purpose and be utilised as singular residential dwellings on the open market.

“This will contribute towards meeting the overall general housing need in Bangor, upgrade the quality of accommodation for students and agglomerate student accommodation reducing the sporadic pattern of units which occurs at present. This can ensure that the facilities students require can be provided in close proximity to their living quarters as they rarely rely on the private car.”

EXISTING STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

The planning statement also assessed the amount of existing student accommodation in Bangor, estimating that Bangor University has approximately 3,650 bed spaces available in Bangor at the official halls situated at Ffriddoedd Village, St Mary’s Village and Neuadd Garth.

The private sector currently supplies approximately 800 student bed spaces at site like Ty Glyn, the former British Hotel and former Plaza Cinema.

656 houses in Bangor (9.9% of housing stock) are registered with the Housing Department as HMO (housing definition).

809 houses in Bangor (12.3% of housing stock) do not pay Council Tax (not all can be confirmed as students – but students are exempt from Council Tax).

453 houses in Bangor (6.8% of housing stock) are both in multiple occupation and do not pay Council Tax.

The total housing stock of Bangor is 6,597. Therefore a high percentage of the housing stock is taken up by HMO/housing not paying Council Tax.

Source: The Bangor Aye

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Almost 20 rogue shared houses served with enforcement notices since start of year

The landlords of almost 20 shared houses in Brighton have been told to convert them back into family use since the beginning of the year as the council’s crackdown on rogue HMOs continues.

And the council has also won four appeals by landlords against the council’s decision to refuse permission to convert more homes into HMOs – after all four have already been converted.

Four of the 19 houses served with enforcement notices are in Brading Road off Elm Grove, an area which has experienced trouble with antisocial behaviour in the past.

In 2015, a man was punched in the face and hit in the head with a can of beer after he complained about noise from a party in Brading Road. This was not one of the houses served with a notice, but other partygoers told neighbours it was a student area so they shouldn’t be complaining.

The university subsequently banned students in two houses in the road from throwing any more parties. A suspect was identified, but police decided there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute and the case was later dropped.

Toxish Doyle, who lived in Brading Road when the assault took place, said she and her disabled mother had eventually been forced to move because of problems with student houses.

She said: “I don’t live there any more for the pure reason that shared houses destroyed the environment and made it unsafe to live there with my disabled mother.

“So I believe it’s a great thing and hopefully the friends we have that live on the street still will get some more peace and quiet

“Every time I complained I was told it was a student area so I had no right to complain and that I should move! Finally we gave in. Luckily we were in a financial position that meant moving was just affordable.

“I just hope the couple of nice people I met student wise that really did respect the area don’t end up without housing. I’ve seen that happen before. The restrictions are a double-edged sword really.”

Councillor Julie Cattell, chair of the planning committee, said: “We are pleased the planning inspector agreed with our decisions. These HMOs did not create decent living space for their occupants.

“We would urge property owners to check whether planning permission is needed before going ahead with work as if permission is refused it could cost them thousands of pounds, both in legal costs and in putting properties back to how they were. The council also takes enforcement action when properties are not returned to their agreed use.”

An application to convert a first floor flat to a small HMO of five rooms and a kitchen at 33 Baker Street was refused but the works had already been done.

In considering the appeal the planning inspector noted that the kitchen could only comfortably hold two people at any one time while the ‘communal space’ for residents was a hallway with only room for a small sofa against one section of wall.

It was found that the communal area was being used to dry clothes and store items as there was not enough space in the rooms themselves.

The outdoor terrace at the property could only be used for part of the year and there was concern about increased noise and disturbance for neighbours.

In upholding the council’s decision, the planning inspector noted that the accommodation was of a poor standard and would be harmful to the living conditions of existing and future residents.

The planning inspector came to a similar conclusion at 33 Hallett Road, a semi-detached house in the Elm Grove area. This has already been turned into a six-bedroomed HMO to house students. The planning inspector agreed with the council that it does not provide satisfactory living conditions for those who will live there, and last week the council served a notice on the owners to cease use as an HMO.

Two properties, 33 Hillside and 2 Plymouth Avenue, in the Moulescoomb and Bevendean area of the city have permission to be smaller HMOs but have been turned into large (seven bedrooms or more) HMOs without planning permission.

The planning inspector upheld the council’s view that permission should be refused on these properties due to the inadequate internal space to provide acceptable living conditions. Both properties have recently had works to increase their size. One is an end of terrace house (Hillside), the other a bungalow.

The other houses served with notices are 103 Halland Road, 9 Isfield Road and 32 The Highway in Moulsecoomb; 1 and 3 Bristol Street in East Brighton; Flat 4, 154 Freshfield Road and 249 Queens Park Road in Queens Park; 27 Coldean Lane and 31 Park Road, Coldean; 9 Old Shoreham Road, Seven Dials; 27 Hollingbury Road, Hollingbury, 81 Washington Street and 9 Whichelo Place, Hanover; and land at 130 Coombe Road.

Outstanding appeals against planning refusal for HMOs are currently being considered for 72 Brading Road (one of the houses served with an enforcement notice), 40 Pankhurst Avenue and 29 Southampton Street.

Reports on recent and current appeals will be noted by councillors at the 4 April Planning Committee.

Source: Brighton and Hove News

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Plan to make family home in St John’s, Worcester an HMO approved despite safety fears

HOMES used as bedsits or as shared ‘student-style’ housing “devalue and degrade a neighbourhood”, according to a councillor. Cllr Alan Amos made the comment about a plan to turn a four-bedroom family home into a five-room house of multiple occupancy (HMO) at Worcester City Council’s planning committee meeting.

Cllr Amos said: “We should enhance a neighbourhood, not damage neighbours’ amenity.”

The application was brought by Martin Kelly who lives in the house in Palmers Green in St John’s with his brother.

He said he wanted to turn the house into a home for five people, adding: “It would not necessarily be students. It’s suitable for professional people as well as students.”

A neighbour, Glyn Harding objected strongly to the plan. He said: “Mr Kelly is a good neighbour but this proposal for an HMO is not suitable for a street full of family homes. An HMO will lead to more foot and vehicle traffic, and this street is dangerous.”

Mr Harding said the street had been built without pavements so people were forced to walk in the carriageway and a series of bends in the road created poor sightlines. He said: “Elderly people, parents pushing buggies and children are all in the road, and this will be unsafe.”

However, Worcestershire County Council’s highways officer Steve Hawley said the road met national standards at 4.5m wide.

He added: “There have been no accidents in the road since it was constructed. The absence of foot-ways is part of the shared space concept and there is no evidence to suggest this proposal would be unsafe.”

Mr Harding was also concerned about ‘clustering’ of HMOs. He said: “There are eight other HMOs within a 200m radius. About 65 percent of HMOs in Worcester are in St John’s. We are well over the tipping point.” The plan was approved by six votes to one against with two abstentions.

Source: Worcester News

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Durham HMO refused planning permission because of number of students in area

DEVELOPERS hoping to build a new student house in the grounds of a Victorian villa have been refused planning permission.

The proposal to replace a double garage in a with a three-storey house of multiple occupation (HMO) was rejected unanimously by members of Durham County Council’s central and east planning committee.

Applicant Timon Kaya had applied on behalf of Green Mountain Estates Ltd to build the property in the grounds of The Lodge, in Laburnum Avenue, Durham.

The plans were opposed by residents, local councillors and MP Roberta Blackman-Woods.

The application was rejected because it would have been in breach of the council’s interim policy on HMOs, as 64 per cent of properties within the site are in multiple occupation.

The developer had argued an exception should be made because there are so many HMOs in the area, another one would not cause further detrimental harm.

Councillor Liz Brown, speaking in opposition to the plans, said: “The developer seems to think this area is past praying for.

“There are a particularly erudite bunch of people living there who have described the difficulties of living in the area but they still feel there’s hope for the area.”

Cllr David Freeman said: “The surrounding area has 64 per cent HMOs so this further permission will make the situation worse.

“HMOs in Laburnum Avenue led to 19 police community protection orders since the beginning of this student year – this is the reality of what happens in areas of Durham city centre.”

Cllr Patricia Jopling said: “We are in Durham building copious amounts of student accommodation and we have to wonder whether it’s a necessary development anyway.”

Source: The Northern Echo

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HMO planning permission for pub conversion rejected

A plan to turn the empty “The Greyhound in Sutton at Hone” north Kent pub into a house in multiple occupation has been thrown out by Dartford councillors.

An application to renovate the Greyhound in Main Street, Sutton at Hone, into an 11-bedroom HMO has been rejected following a meeting.

The developer, Bestsafe Development, wanted to replace the roof with a higher single-pitched roof increasing the height by 1.4m.

In its application, the developer said: “This proposal for the conversion of a former public house to form an HMO of 11 no. single bedrooms would be a positive addition to the local area.

“It will enable young persons to live locally, close to their families, and yet be able to commute to central London via nearby train station. It will bring much needed economy to the area and local businesses.”

An HMO is a home that has at least three tenants living there – and the scheme for the Greyhound proposed 11 single bedrooms, along with 12 parking spaces.

However, the scheme has been rejected because of how the new roof would impact on the setting of a Grade II listed building – The Hollies.

The council rejected the application on the grounds that the height of the new new roof would have significant detrimental impact to the appearance of the building.

Source: News Shopper