'Extreme concerns' over Sunderland HMO plans - parking fears spark call-in request by Tory leader

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for a property at 24 Humbledon Park, off Durham Road, in the Barnes area.

This includes a formal bid to convert the building from a three-bedroom dwelling house to a four-bedroom HMO, with the erection of a bike shed to the rear.

According to submitted plans, the development would include one bedroom with an ensuite and three bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities.

In addition, each room would benefit from the use of a shared living area and a shared kitchen and dining area.

A planning statement submitted to council officials said future occupants of the HMO would benefit from “adequately sized bedrooms with windows and large shared living spaces” and a shared garden.

Parking for up to two vehicles is also planned at the rear of the site, as well as enclosed cycle parking provision.

The planning statement adds: “With regards to the impact of the proposal on visual and residential amenity, the proposal requires limited alterations to the exterior of the dwelling and as such there will be extremely limited visual impact on the locality.

“The proposed use would still be residential in nature and the occupancy of up to four individuals should not give rise to any undue noise or disturbance”.

Those behind the scheme also noted the site’s “highly sustainable location” and said it was not considered that occupants would be “reliant on the use of private vehicles”.

Councillor Antony Mullen, Barnes ward representative, has made a request for the application to be decided by the council’s Planning and Highways Committee.

In the ‘call-in’ request, published on the council’s online planning portal, Cllr Mullen said he had “extreme concerns about the parking situation that would arise from this application being approved”.

This included concerns about the lack of “legal on-road parking at the front of the property”.

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

For more information on the HMO plan or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s online planning portal and search reference: 23/00441/FUL