a day ago
Plan for 'poor quality' HMO for up to 17 people on family road kicked out
A planning application for an HMO which would have been occupied by up to 17 people has been refused.
City planners issued a scathing report as they turned down a proposal to convert a property on Etwall Road, a five-bedroom family home in Hall Green, into a nine-bed HMO.
Dozens of neighbours objected, with concerns ranging from anti-social behaviour, noise, overlooking and the loss of privacy to parking and traffic concerns.
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Backed by Coun Timothy Huxtable, locals also worried about the loss of a family home, the close proximity to a nursery and the overdevelopment of the site.
The council agreed with their complaints and refused the application citing lack of parking and that development would be "poor quality living accommodation."
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The decision read: "The proposed change of use of the property would result in the loss of a five-bedroom family dwelling house, and insufficient justification has been provided to demonstrate that the need for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in this location outweighs the important contribution this dwelling makes to the council's objectives, strategies and policies relating to housing provision."
The report went on: "The occupation of the property as an HMO by up to 17 people would result in a demonstrable increase in the numbers of comings and goings from the site and a greater level of noise and disturbance in comparison to the existing use as a family dwelling house.
"The proposed HMO would not, therefore, be appropriate to this location as it would result in unacceptable adverse impacts on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers."
Coun Huxtable said: "I'm really pleased this application has been refused as it would have detrimentally changed the whole character of the area and caused additional traffic problems to those already faced by local residents."
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