Latest plans to increase size of Twerton HMO refused by planners

A developer’s plans to increase the size of a semi-detached house already in multiple occupation in Twerton have been refused amid concerns that the level of HMOs in the neighbourhood is already above the cap.

The property on Lymore Avenue in Bath

Bonekka Property Investment’s plans to turn 47 Lymore Avenue from a six-bed HMO into one with seven bedrooms involved adding a first-floor rear extension.

The applicant said the communal facilities would be improved, as well as increasing the number of lettable bedrooms.

Bath & North East Somerset Council received 59 objections, with concerns which included the “harmful imbalance” of residential properties and HMOs in the area, and the impact on parking, as well as overlooking and noise.

There was one comment of support, which highlighted the shortage of, and need for, student accommodation in Bath.

The report from council officers said the proposals met room size standards and the proposed extension would be acceptable. There were no objections from the highways team and the site was said to be in a sustainable location with good access to services, facilities and public transport links.

The “daily challenges regarding parking within this area” were recognised, but “this is an issue across Bath and not necessarily related to HMOs”.

However, council policy states that where the proportion of HMOs within a 100-metre radius exceeds 10%, further proposals for such use will not normally be supported, as it is acknowledged that a cumulative impact of HMOs can significantly impact a neighbourhood.

The applicant’s own calculations showed 133 dwellings within a 100-metre radius, 23 of them HMOs, making the concentration 17.3%.

Calculations from a planning officer meanwhile counted 131 homes in that radius, with 20 existing HMOs, giving a concentration of 15.3%. Both calculations are considerably above the 10% threshold.

A house in multiple occupation is considered small if it is up to six rooms. In refusing the plans to increase the size of No. 47 Lymore Avenue, the council said the “intensification and change of use to a large HMO would fail to support a balanced community, to the detriment of the local housing mix”.