A developer has lodged a planning application to turn a house in Walcot into a five-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO).
The property in Kensington Gardens | Photo © Google Street View / Google 2025
Number 19 Kensington Gardens, which is a four-storey house, was purchased earlier this summer by Maple Property Bath Limited.
The planning application submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council says the property currently has three double bedrooms and the plan is to convert it to five double bedrooms, with communal areas and two bathroom/shower rooms.
HMO rules in Bath currently state that the concentration of shared rentals within a 100-metre radius must not go over a 10% threshold.
Council data indicates a total of 176 residential properties within a 100-metre radius, and five HMOs which amounts to 2.84%. Bringing it up to six would be a concentration of 3.41%.
The application is also said to be in line with the council policy that states there must be no ‘sandwiching’ of a property between two HMOs.
The terraced house already has the energy performance rating of C as required to become a HMO. It is said to be in a sustainable location with the closest bus stop about 130 metres away.
Four cycle spaces are proposed.
The planning reference is 25/02953/FUL. The deadline for comments is 29th August.
