Council refusal of extra bed for 6-bed HMO overturned on appeal
Applicant Michael Michael said he sought to convert a “little-used lounge to an additional HMO room”.
The application was made to add an additional bedroom to an existing 6-bed HMO at 95 Bradford Street in The Haulgh – but refused by Bolton Council.
Mr Michael appealed the decision to The Planning Inspectorate.
The property was visited by S Brook on September 25 who said the building included bedrooms “over four floors, including in the basement and the roof space”.
They noted that work on converting the lounge “had been undertaken” when they visited – but that bedroom four was not in use.
Though finding the basement bedroom to have a restricted outlook, they said there is “alternative communal indoor and outdoor space” in the kitchen “which is served by two large windows” and in the shared garden.
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They added: “As such, the removal of the existing lounge would not change the living conditions afforded to the occupier of this bedroom, to the extent that it would be significantly harmful.”
Though the loss of the lounge would limit the communal area to just the kitchen and diner, the inspector found all existing rooms exceeded the minimum space standards.
Inspector Brook agreed with the council’s concern that if the communal area was used “by all seven residents at any one time” it “would be cramped and uncomfortable”.
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But they said that all except two bedrooms were fitted with “kitchenette-type facilities” and “some seating for dining purposes”.
They added that these would “reduce the intensity of use of the communal areas to some extent”.
Inspector Brook overturned the council’s refusal and allowed the extra bedroom – but put a condition on the plan “to limit the number of residents to seven to regulate the living conditions of future occupiers”.
Source – INDIA TV
