Controversial plans for HMO in Durham approved - despite objections from neighbours

Earlier this week, Durham County Council’s Area Planning Committee (Central and East) were asked to consider an application in the Crossgate Moor area.

This included erecting a five-bedroom HMO in the garden area to the west of The White House, off Newcastle Road.

An application to build two HMOs on the land was originally turned down by councillors in April – with the resubmitted plans for one dwelling sparking opposition from the community.

A total of 47 objections from individuals or groups were received, including the City of Durham Parish Council, the Neville’s Cross Community Association and the Quarry House Lane Environmental Association.

Concerns included Durham City being ‘unbalanced’ by a high proportion of students, noise and disturbance, loss of privacy, parking issues and the demand for the HMO.

In a presentation to councillors, planners said the application compiled with the interim policy on student accommodation, as fewer than 10% of properties within 100 metres of the application site were student properties.

But Cllr Grenville Holland, representing the City of Durham Parish Council, said a second HMO in the area would “tip the balance to over 10%” and should be refused on these grounds alone.

He also said the backland development clashed with several policies, describing it as a “bad scheme in the wrong place for the wrong reason.”

The comments came during a planning meeting on September 8 which was held via videolink and broadcast on YouTube.

Neville’s Cross ward councillor, Cllr Liz Brown, also noted the “strong local feeling against the application”, adding residents already had issues with an existing HMO in the area.

“It’s highly likely that with two [HMOs] the problems will be doubled,” she told the meeting.

“Unfortunately, unlike in licensing, we do not have the privilege of calling in HMOs for review. A problem HMO is there forever.”

Applicant Frank Stephenson defended the plans at the meeting and outlined the planning history of the site.

Councillors heard the initial change of use of The White House to a HMO, approved in in 2019, was prompted by previous tenants moving out.

And since then, he explained, the site has been occupied by “studious, quiet and law-abiding tenants” with no objections directly or through the managing agent for the property.

Mr Stephenson added the new build HMO had a smaller footprint than previous applications, was further away from neighbouring properties, did not overshadow and was “cleverly designed using the natural slope of the land.”

Planning officials , recommending the plans for approval, concluded that the dwelling would not create adverse impacts on neighbours or the character and appearance of the area.

According to planning documents, “sloping land levels [would also see] the dwelling appear as single storey when viewed from the east and two storey when viewed towards the west.”

However, concerns were raised by some planning committee members, with Cllr Paul Taylor describing the plan as “the wrong scheme in a bad place.”

He told the meeting:”I do regret it, it’s going to change the whole dynamic of the area.

“We will now have two student houses there right in the middle of a residential area.”

Cllr David Freeman added: “I think it’s just a very disappointing development which will obviously damage neighbours’ lives and damage the local area.”

Graeme Smith, policy team leader at Durham County Council, also updated members on the current status of the County Durham Plan – which includes a new policy around managing the growth of student accommodation.

Although the plan is at a ‘very well advanced stage’, councillors heard, the Government-appointed planning inspector hasn’t published his final report yet with several “unresolved objections” remaining around the student policy.

As a result, the council officer concluded, no weight should be given to the plan in the case of the HMO application.

While highways chiefs initially had reservations about the access road to the site, they lodged no objections, adding that no additional parking was proposed for the site which would limit vehicular movements.

The HMO plans were narrowly approved by a majority vote of 5-4.

Councillors Bev Coult, David Freeman, Karen Hawley and Paul Taylor voted against the application.

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