Councillors were warned a planning inspector could overturn their decision if they refused permission
A house in Wick Road at the centre of a row over plans to convert it into an HMO for nine people.(Image: Google Maps)
Councillors have approved plans to turn a family home into a massive shared house for up to nine people. A terraced house on Wick Road in Brislington with three bedrooms will be turned into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO), including three double bedrooms.
The vote was tied as Green councillors said this sort of accommodation is “worsening the housing crisis” in Bristol. In several parts of the city, developers are buying up family homes and converting them into HMOs, as they can charge much higher rents.
The plans were approved by councillors on the development control B committee on Wednesday, June 4. This is the second time the plans came before the committee, after councillors raised concerns about noise complaints last February and a lack of sound insulation.
Since then, the developer came back with more extensive plans for noise insulation, to assuage fears from neighbours about noisy tenants. Another concern however was the racket caused by construction workers who were already in the middle of converting the building. Neighbours also said there were too many HMOs already in the area, but council staff disagreed.
Councillors were warned that if they voted to refuse planning permission, the plans could still go ahead anyway and the council would be left out of pocket. Developers who are refused permission can appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which often overturns the council’s decision and ends up granting permission — and charges the council fees as well.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Caroline Gooch said: “I don’t think this place would be too bad with six people, but with nine it would be a real squash. But at the same time we’re dealing with hundreds of caravans and things really kicking off where I live [near the Downs]. So we really need somewhere for people to go.
“I’m a bit worried about the plan for the kitchen, which shows one sink and one hob, when it should have two. With the HMOs, the problem is that the amount of money they bring in does push up the price of housing, because everything is bought up by developers who can bid a lot more and then charge twice as much for the same space.”
Bristol has the highest number of people living in vehicles across the country, with an estimated 800 van dwellers. Many of those people are living on the Downs, causing strife among wealthy residents in nearby houses who complain about them spoiling the views and leaving litter. Some people living in vehicles say they have no option, because of the exorbitant cost of renting.
On the other hand, the proliferation of HMOs across Bristol is driving up rents for families. Landlords can charge much higher rents to several single people living in one shared house, leading to many family homes getting converted into HMOs. Neighbourhoods often worry too, about the impact on the community from having transient residents living in shared houses.
Green Cllr Guy Poultney added: “Sometimes I think we are massively overcautious in issues like this. We have 98 representations from members of the public saying that this will cause an unacceptable impact in their area.
“On the other side of that, we have an internal report from the council’s pollution control department on the basis of no visit, no evidence gathered beyond a desktop study, to say it will be fine with some additional noise insulation. This is not providing the kind of housing that will alleviate the housing crisis. This is providing the kind of housing that worsens it.”
The problem is that councillors on the two development control committees have to decide whether to approve permission based on strict rules in the council’s Local Plan. They can’t refuse permission based solely on a large amount of public opposition.
A new Local Plan is being drawn up, which might have tighter rules on converting family homes into HMOs. But until then, refusing permission for this sort of application is difficult to do, based on the council’s existing policies.
Voting in favour of the plans were Labour Cllrs Lisa Durston and Don Alexander, Conservative Cllr Bador Uddin, and Liberal Democrat Cllr Caroline Gooch. Voting against were Green Cllrs Poultney, Mohamed Makawi, Lisa Stone and Paula O’Rourke. Because the vote was tied, Cllr Alexander was able to use his “casting vote” as committee chair and effectively vote twice.