'Victory for common sense' as plans for 11-bedroom HMO in Sunderland's Godfrey Road are refused

Sunderland City Council’s planning and highways committee have voted unanimously to reject plans for 12 Godfrey Road in the Grindon area.

Plans from Metters Properties, submitted earlier this year, sought permission to change the property into “co-living” accommodation in the form of an 11-bedroom HMO.

It was noted that the property formerly operated as a local authority care facility but has been “vacant for several years and has subsequently fallen into a state of disuse.”

A submitted management plan noted Metters Properties is an accredited landlord with the council and said the property would be licensed with the local authority, ensuring it is “safe, well-maintained and providing a good living environment for tenants”.

It was also noted that the target demographic is “young professionals” and that there would be a policy in place around antisocial behaviour complaints.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans, there was significant public opposition, including around 40 public objections raising a range of concerns, along with a 470-signature petition opposing the co-living HMO scheme.

Public concerns included impacts on residential amenity around noise, privacy, visual amenity and antisocial behaviour, along with fears about waste generation, “overdevelopment”, increased traffic and congestion and more.

Elsewhere, there were 20 representations in support with comments welcoming plans for the “eyesore” derelict building and describing the development as a “positive and much needed improvement”.

Council planning officers, in a report published ahead of a decision-making planning and highways committee, had recommended the HMO for approval.

Councillor Stephen O’Brien, who represents Grindon and Thorney Close, and several local residents, spoke against the plans at the City Hall meeting.

Concerns included the suitability of the HMO use in a residential area made up of family homes and bungalows along with concerns about noise and waste, increased traffic, parking pressures and more.

A representative for the applicant, speaking at the City Hall meeting, said the property would be well-managed with communal spaces and en-suites and added the applicant was “born and bred in Grindon”.

The planning agent added developments with young professionals “tend to have low car usage” and said the proposed HMO was the most feasible option for the site.

Council planners also confirmed the applicant had agreed to the HMO being “single occupancy” per room.

However, councillors on the planning and highways committee agreed to reject the plans in a decision that went against the recommendation of council planning officers.

The motion to refuse the plans was launched by new committee chair, Councillor Sandra Hobson-Tate, who raised concerns about the “intensification of the use of the property” in terms of increased footfall, noise and vehicle movements.

“This will cause an increase in undue noise and disturbance to our local residents and the overall residential amenity,” she added.

Councillor Stephen O’Brien, speaking after the meeting, praised local residents who had submitted comments and said the planning and highways committee’s decision was a “victory for common sense”.

The councillor added: “I was proud to attend the meeting and speak against the application, and I’m encouraged by how much our community rallied together to stop this from happening.”

The applicant has the right to appeal the decision.