Despite local objections, Newport’s planning committee has approved a HMO conversion on Ombersley Road, citing community housing needs.
Newport: The city council has given the green light for a HMO conversion on Ombersley Road, even though there were quite a few objections from locals. It seems like the planning rules are a bit of a hot topic right now.
The application was put forward by Mathieson and Bell Ltd, aiming to turn a six-bedroom house into a HMO for eight residents. HMOs are basically homes where unrelated folks can rent their own rooms but share common spaces like kitchens and bathrooms.
Planning agents described the location as “highly sustainable” with good public transport links. They argued that this conversion would help meet the community’s housing needs.
However, 29 neighbors and three local councillors raised concerns about how this would affect the area. They worried about things like parking, waste management, and the overall character of the neighborhood.
One councillor, Pat Drewett, was particularly worried about the number of HMOs already in the area. Councils usually set limits on how many HMOs can exist in a neighborhood, and it turns out the threshold for Ombersley Road is 15% within a 50-meter radius.
Currently, there’s only one other HMO in that area, so the committee felt it was still within limits. Some members suggested that the council should tighten its rules to prevent too many HMOs from popping up.
One councillor even mentioned that HMOs should be treated like commercial properties for tax purposes. Another pointed out that the current guidelines seem a bit silly, especially since there are other HMOs just outside the designated area.
Despite the objections, the planning manager assured the committee that the 15% threshold wouldn’t be exceeded, even if they expanded the radius. The committee ultimately voted 6-1 in favor of granting the planning permission.
