Brighton-based property investment company Rivers Birtwell has submitted an application to Bath & North East Somerset Council to turn a two-bed home in the city into accommodation for six sharers.
A bedroom at an HMO property | Library image
At 5 Batstone Close, Fairfield Park, which is in a terrace, six single-occupancy bedrooms are proposed. The scheme includes adding a single-storey extension and a bike store.
Two separate toilet and shower rooms are planned and the proposed communal amenity space is said to be well-proportioned. There are plans to improve energy efficiency to achieve the required EPC rating of C.
The application says that “a high-quality HMO will be created in an appropriate location without harming the amenity of neighbours or character of the area”.
It says there are no HMOs in the surrounding area (100-metre radius), so the proposed development would not give rise to any community balance impacts.
The application adds that HMO occupants are generally less reliant on private vehicles than families, meaning further additional parking provision to the two spaces provided is “unnecessary”.
However, Batstone Close and nearby streets “have ample on-street capacity” if required.
Parking for four bikes is proposed, and there are said to be frequent local bus services.
The planning reference is 26/01291/FUL and the deadline for comments is 6th May.
