A Herefordshire-based developer has been given the go-ahead to convert a semi-detached property in Twerton from a four-bed family home into a six-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO).
A bedroom at an HMO property | Library image
Six objectors had raised concerns about parking, noise and the loss of family homes, with one saying: “Twerton has become (over the last 10 years) off balance in terms of community, with too many people being shoehorned into too small a space”.
But Bath & North East Somerset Council planning officers said the proposals lodged by ABC TB Property Holdings were acceptable, noting that with the change of use of 12 Highfield Close, there would be two adjacent HMOs but the attached property, No.11, would not be sandwiched between shared homes.
The council’s mapping tool allows for HMOs to be identified within a 100-metre radius, and it revealed the concentration will remain below the 10% threshold.
No external changes are proposed to the house. Council officers said the change of use to an HMO is “compatible” at this location and there was no evidence that occupancy of up to six sharers would have a greater impact on neighbours than a single house would.
Their report said the HMO will have a good standard of accommodation and “generous” outdoor space; there will be off-street parking for two cars and secure storage for at least six bicycles.
The report added: “The HMO may intensify vehicle use by occupants being of an age to be able to drive and may own a car, however, given the location of the property, the public transport provision and the proximity of a service centre that offers genuine choice of a range of services, a small-scale HMO is unlikely to create a severe transport impact to the immediate area.”
As the Echo reported in the autumn, the council is proposing a ban on three-bed family homes being converted to HMOs as part of its new Local Plan amid concerns that HMOs are exacerbating the city’s housing crisis.
