Plans for an eight-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Combe Down have been granted planning permission by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The change of use of the three-bed semi at 20 Meare Road into a six-bed house HMO by adding a two-storey extension was permitted at the end of last year.
With the change of use acceptable in principle, another application was then submitted for it to become an eight-bed HMO, which council planners approved last week.
The proposal includes putting the communal accommodation into a single-storey wrap-around extension to the side and rear of the property so that the main house can accommodate the eight bedrooms and bathrooms to serve them.
The house is currently empty and works will be completed before any tenants move in. The proposals include bike storage and parking.
The council received 10 letters of objection from local residents highlighting issues including loss of privacy, overdevelopment, noise disturbance, the impact on parking, and the character of the area being changed.
The council has a register of HMOs as a cumulative impact can significantly impact a neighbourhood.
In this case no home is ‘sandwiched’ by HMOs and fewer than 10% of properties within a 100m radius – the council’s threshold – are in HMO use.
