Four out of five HMO applications approved by city councillors
Four out of five Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) were granted planning permission by Portsmouth City Council today.
A run of HMO applications split opinion at Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee today, with councillors weighing parking pressures against the risk of losing appeals.
The most contentious case was 49 North End Avenue, a deferred application to convert a house into an eight-bedroom HMO.
A resident told the committee that “problems on our road have arisen from licensed and unlicensed HMOs” and objected to the “size of the building”, saying it was “a smaller house compared with many other eight-bed HMOs”.
Agent Carrianne Wells, of Applecore PDM, said the scheme was designed to be “fully compliant with planning policy, building regulations and HMO licensing standards”.
Parking dominated the debate. Cllr Jason Fazackarley questioned claims the scheme would generate “no more than an extra half a space of car parking”, adding that impacts on residents “apparently can’t be catered for in the regulations”.
Cllr Lee Hunt moved refusal, citing a parking shortfall, overdevelopment and the cumulative impact of HMOs on quality of life.
Cllr Chris Attwell said he could not support an application that “doesn’t meet our standards”, but legal advice warned refusal was unlikely to be upheld and could expose the council to costs.
Cllr Lee Hunt’s motion fell and, with a tied vote, the chair used her casting vote to grant permission.
A six-bedroom HMO at 1 Munster Road, was approved by five votes to four, with one abstention.
Ms Wells warned councillors they were “sitting on quite a lot of decisions that are going to lose at appeal” at taxpayers expense. She added that HMOs are a “a perfectly adequate option” for workers and young people in the city.
In Southsea, councillors refused permission to increase an HMO at 21 Fraser Road from four to eight bedrooms. Concerns were raised about a street-facing window and harm to the street scene. Cllr Hunt said the “Victorian street scene” was “constantly being eroded”.
Permission was granted to convert a long-vacant shop at 28 Cromwell Road into a four-bedroom HMO. Cllr Peter Candlish said the shop “hasn’t been used as a shop for a long time” and the proposal was “an appropriate use”.
A six-bedroom HMO at 105 London Avenue, was approved. Cllr Candlish said he did not like “the larger HMOs with six or more people” but added: “I can’t see any reason to reject” it on planning grounds.
Residents can view the detailed plans on the council website.