BirminghamLive WhatsApp<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nNeighbour Mr Cooper said: \u201cShalford Road is already under significant pressure with many homes reliant on on-site parking due to narrow driveways that only fit one car.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed development would increase occupancy and vehicle numbers while removing off-site parking via the garage conversion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The applicant said the extension would be used as a gym and study area – but that was challenged by Mr Cooper.<\/p>\n
Under permitted development rights homes can be turned into small house of multiple occupation (HMO) for no more than six people.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the application does not state a change of use the applicant\u2019s background in HMO developments suggests this property may be converted,\u201d the speaker added.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750759331_37_0_Extension.jpg\")
The garage to be linked with the Shalford Road home to create an extension(Image: Google Maps)<\/p>\n
Opening the members’ debate, Coun Bob Grinsell, chairman of the committee, said: \u201cWe have heard what Mr Cooper has had to say, but members, we have been here before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would remind you we can only consider what is in front of us, not what something could be in years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a fan of this backdoor kind of happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coun Grinsell said council planning officers had recommended approval subject to conditions including the extension be for \u201cancillary use only\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think parking would increase because there are no habitable rooms being added,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Coun Grinsell then asked the officers if a condition could be added to remove permitted rights.<\/p>\n
Planning officer Jon Hallam replied: \u201cCould that be achievable – in principle yes but government guidance states that in removing rights from any property there has to be exceptional circumstances why those rights should be removed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this situation it is an existing house, even without these works it could be converted into a HMO.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Meeting.jpg\")
Solihull Council planning committee meeting(Image: Sam Greenway LDR)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many houses in this street, surrounding streets and throughout the borough in a similar situation that have the potential to be changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo officers’ view is there are certainly not exceptional reasons to remove rights for such a change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is an issue that is something to take up with a higher level, central government, on what is allowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some things as a local authority we have to accept.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coun Grinsell said: \u201cIf you find as neighbours it is not being used for ancillary purposes talk to your local councillor please – that is about as helpful as I can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the vote was taken the chairman added “reluctantly I\u2019m putting my hand in the air (to approve)\u201d.<\/p>\n
All nine committee members voted in favour with none against during the meeting held at the Civic Suite on June 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘HMO risk’ objectors disappointed as Shalford Road home extension given the green lightThe Shalford Road home being extended(Image:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":210081,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,2671,8919,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-210080","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-solihull","13":"tag-solihull-council","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114737771082528811","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Extension.jpg\")
The Shalford Road home being extended(Image: Google Maps)<\/p>\n