Calls continue to mount for action to curb the growing number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Bath.
Bath & North East Somerset Council keeps a register of HMOs as it is acknowledged that a cumulative impact can significantly impact a neighbourhood.
Current policy dictates that no home can be ‘sandwiched’ between two HMOs and fewer than 10% of properties within a 100-metre radius are allowed to be in HMO use.
The latest controversy surrounds an application submitted to the council to turn a three-bed property at Ambleside Road into a five-bed HMO.
Minor internal alterations are proposed as part of the application for No 51.
In response to the application this week, local councillors Steve Hedges and Joel Hirst say they “object in principle” to more HMOs being created in their ward.
They say: “We feel strongly that Odd Down ward needs to be protected for housing for family units.
“The city of Bath is incrementally pricing families out of areas like Odd Down and Kingsway.
“This is being driven by a number of factors including unsustainable growth in student numbers at the universities without growth in purpose-build student housing on campus to meet this demand.
“The city of Bath is limited in its ability to grow because of World Heritage status. If we want a sustainable city, where a range of people from a range of economic backgrounds can afford to live in Bath, we need to protect key areas for potential key worker properties. Odd Down and Kingsway are such an area.
“We are especially concerned about the impact on parking, currently the parking is already challenging in this area and an HMO will inevitably put more pressure on parking.”
The Lib Dem councillors say there is already a high concentration of HMOs in the area with many (at least 10) being registered in the Kingsway area: “For these reasons we respectfully ask this is called in to planning committee for consideration.”
The proposed Ambleside Road HMO does not include off-road parking spaces but there will be five allocated spaces for bikes and a designated bin storage area.
The deadline for comments is 28th October. The planning reference is 24/03605/FUL.
Earlier this year Councillors Hedges and Hirst warned about the “exponential growth” in HMOs in the Odd Down area when they put in their objection to plans to convert a three-bed mid-terrace in Eastover Grove into a shared house for six people.
At the time they warned that they did not support the loss of family houses to HMOs which makes the area less sustainable. They added that more student housing should be built on campus.
The planning application was approved.
Earlier this month we reported on a planning application for a seven-bed HMO in Freeview Road in Twerton which has sparked 30 objections with concerns including the impact on parking and that students are being prioritised over families in the city.
The council is due to make a decision on that application by the end of the month.
