Plans to convert family home into five-bed HMO in Walcot refused

A planning application to turn a Walcot home into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) has been refused by Bath & North East Somerset Council.

The property in Walcot | Image © Google Street View / Google 2025

The proposal was submitted by Stonewood Properties for 7 Vineyards in Walcot.

The plans involved turning the five-bed family home into a five-bed HMO.

The council acknowledged that the property is not within an area with a high concentration of HMOs.

According to its records, the proposal would result in six HMOs within a 100-metre radius, which equates to a 1.8% density – well within the 10% threshold laid down by the council.

It would not cause harm to neighbours either as there would be no ‘sandwiching’ of a home between two HMOs.

However, the application does not achieve the necessary Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C rating.

The applicant had said that it may not be possible to achieve that rating without causing harm to the Grade II listed building, but the council said this had not been proved and therefore rejected the proposal.