Having secured planning permission to turn a mid-terrace family home in Weston into a house in multiple occupation (HMO), the developer now wants to split one of the bedrooms into two to create enough space for seven sharers.
Earlier this year Rivers Birtwell, who specialise in accommodation for students and young professionals, got permission from Bath & North East Somerset Council to change 20 Southlands from a four-bed home to a six-bed HMO.
A HMO is considered small if it has up to six bedrooms and large if it has seven or more.
No extensions were required for the change of use to a HMO, but there were alterations to windows to align with the new layout. The plans also included storage in the garden for four bikes.
There is no off-street parking at the house but the initial application said HMO occupiers are generally less likely to have access to cars than families and it was unlikely there would be any adverse increase in on-street parking.
The council received one objection about parking in the area already being a huge concern, particularly with the roadblock for the Southlands liveable neighbourhood trial being made permanent.
Concerns about noise and anti-social behaviour from six students and their guests were also highlighted.
B&NES Council keeps a register of HMOs as a cumulative impact can impact communities.
The council assessed the HMO density in the area and confirmed that no residential property would be sandwiched by HMOs and that the conversion would result in three HMOs amongst 64 properties within a 100-metre radius. This equates to 4.7% and the threshold is 10%.
A planning statement accompanying the latest application says the property has already been converted to HMO use and is occupied as such.
It explains: “No extensions are required to facilitate the seventh bedroom (and large HMO use). An overlarge bedroom at first floor will simply be divided into two smaller bedrooms.”
The latest planning reference is 24/04136/FUL. The deadline for comments is 26th November.
