Plans refused for HMO in Boldon Colliery after string of objections

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee has refused a planning application for the proposed conversion of 78 Hedworth Lane in the Boldon Colliery area.

According to the planning listing, the existing site is described as a “three-bedroom mid-terrace property”.

Plans from applicant Clarice Property Group Ltd aimed to transform the property into an HMO, a property type which involves multiple households living together with communal facilities.

Plans for the property included three bedrooms and a kitchen and laundry room on the ground floor, three bedrooms on the first floor and one bedroom with an ‘adjacent kitchen’ on the second floor.

A second-floor loft conversion was proposed to make way for the bedroom and other facilities, as well as a single-storey extension to the rear of the building.

Those behind the scheme said the HMO could accommodate up to eight persons in seven households, including either seven singles or six singles and one couple.

In total six en-suite bedrooms and one bedroom with a separate bathroom were proposed.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans, the HMO proposals sparked public opposition with around 60 representations raising a range of concerns.

This included the potential for anti-social behaviour, parking pressures and highway safety impacts, as well as the proposals clashing with the character of the area by introducing an HMO property use.

The plans also saw concerns raised by representatives for the Boldon Colliery area, with several ward councillors urging decision-makers to reject the HMO.

At a crunch meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on October 23, 2023, the committee heard arguments for and against the proposals.

Councillor Joanne Bell, Boldon Colliery representative, said the plans represented an “overdevelopment” of the site and were driven by profit, as well as raising concerns about parking and waste storage.

Councillor Fay Cunningham, Boldon Colliery representative, added the HMO was not sustainable and that approving the plan could set a precedent for similar developments in the Boldon Colliery area.

A representative for the applicant, speaking in support of the plans at South Shields Town Hall, said the proposed accommodation was aimed at people employed in the region.

It was also argued that “comfortable” accommodation was being provided, with rooms exceeding minimum space standards and ensuite bathrooms, as well as wider checks around tenants.

Council planning officers had recommended the HMO plan for approval and noted it was an acceptable use in a residential area.

It was also noted that there was a ‘fallback position’ for the development, and that the property could be developed as a smaller HMO without planning permission as a ‘permitted development’.

Several councillors raised concerns about the seven bedrooms proposed in the application, as well as referencing a representation from Northumbria Police which raised concerns.

Other concerns from Planning Committee members included the provision of a kitchen on the second floor, impacts on residential amenity and parking pressures from future HMO occupiers due to the lack of dedicated parking.

After being put to the vote, South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee voted unanimously to reject the HMO plan.

The refusal reasons agreed by councillors included concerns about the size and suitability of the development, overdevelopment fears and future parking impacts.

The applicant has the right to appeal the council’s refusal decision by lodging an appeal with the Secretary of State.

For more information on the planning application, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0431/23/FUL