HMO plan turned down after 500-strong petition
GooglePlans to turn a home into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been turned down following public objection.
South Tyneside Council's planning committee unanimously rejected the plans for the three-bed property on Surrey Street, Jarrow, which attracted a 480-signature petition opposing the move.
Concerns included noise, the rising number of HMOs, potential anti-social behaviour and parking.
The application, from Andrew Faber at Maytree Property Group, argued the development would have provided "a high standard of accommodation" and made use of existing housing stock to "support local housing needs".
Council officers had recommended the plans for approval, stating the HMO would help to reduce "the current shortfall in terms of housing supply", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The Reform UK-led council heard objections from three people during the meeting of the planning committee, including the council's sole surviving Labour councillor Geraldine Kilgour, who represents Fellgate and Hedworth.
She said: "I just all in all think it's completely incongruous to its surroundings, it doesn't fit in, it doesn't provide the appropriate local amenity and it should be refused."
The plan would have sought to turn the site into a HMO featuring ensuite bedrooms - with two on the ground floor and four on the first floor.
The ground floor would also have featured a shared kitchen and dining area, with parking space for one car and a bike storage area.
'Working professionals'
Councillors said they rejected the application because of the impact the development would have on the character of the area and the residential amenity of surrounding neighbours, along with concerns over car parking.
In January, when the council was controlled by Labour, plans to convert the property into an eight-bedroom HMO were also refused following public opposition, including a 1,312 signature petition.
Separately, the council also turned down two further HMOs proposed for South Shields, both by Neirbos One Ltd.
One would have seen a ground floor flat on Armstrong Terrace be turned into a three-bed HMO, the other a property on Pembroke Terrace, which occupies the first floor of the same building, turned into a five-bed HMO.
Planning statements in support of both schemes outlined how they intended "to deliver high-quality shared accommodation aimed at working professionals and key workers".
The applications follow a decision from the council's previous Labour cabinet to launch an "immediate" borough-wide Article 4 Discretion removing permitted development rights for small HMOs, meaning planning permission is now needed for all HMOs in the borough.
