Controversial plans to convert part of a Bath doctors’ surgery into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been refused.
St Michael’s Surgery at Walwyn Way in Twerton
St Michael’s Surgery at Walwyn Close in Twerton applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council to convert the two-storey wing previously occupied by a dental practice into a four-bed HMO.
The proposed conversion involved layout alterations to the ground and first floor to partition the HMO from the surgery.
Local councillor Sarah Moore had objected, saying: “In 2021, number 12 Walwyn Close had permission granted to convert into a four-bed HMO.
“Granting this application would mean number 14 would be sandwiched.”
Cllr Moore added that there would be no outside space for the residents of the proposed HMO and pointed out that when planning permission had been granted for the new dental surgery to the west of the building, the reason given was to enable the doctors’ practice to expand.
“This area urgently needs more doctors, not more HMOs,” she said.
Cllr Moore had made a planning committee call-in request in the event of officers recommending approval.
She was supported by fellow Lib Dem ward councillor Tim Ball who said: “This application should be withdrawn or refused for the blatant disregard of a policy that is there to protect residents.”
B&NES Council planning officers were also unhappy with the plans, saying the change of use would result in a residential property being sandwiched between two HMOs which would result in a loss of privacy, and visual and noise intrusion.
There were also concerns that two out of the four bedrooms would only have obscure glazed windows.
This was to ensure no harmful overlooking but would present an unsatisfactory living environment for the occupiers.
The officers’ report noted that HMOs are occupied by unrelated individuals, with their own lifestyles and patterns and times of movements.
Their comings and goings are likely to be less regimented and be at earlier and later times in the day compared to a family home. Also in this case, aspects such as refuse/waste and the impact of parking were likely to be exacerbated.
It is understood that No 12 is not currently operating as an HMO but the planning permission that was given could still be implemented. Therefore, officers were not able to support the change of use of the surgery wing.
The cumulative impact of HMOs in a neighbourhood can significantly impact the character of an area.
Although the plans in this case were refused on the council’s “sandwiching criterion test”, high density was not given as a reason for refusal.
The council’s policy on density specifies that proposals will be unacceptable where HMO properties represent 10% or more of households within a 100-metre radius of the application property, or the application property tips the concentration to 10% or more.
According to council records, the surgery’s proposal would have resulted in five HMOs within a 100-metre radius, which equates to 6.5%.
