Plans to turn vacant property into protected area of Preston into HMO chucked out

Plans to turn a vacant property in a protected part of Preston into a home for up to 18 people have been rejected by councillors.

A raft of concerns were raised over the proposed house in multiple occupation (HMO), on the corner of Rose Terrace and Grosvenor Place in the Ashton Conservation Area – including its potential impact on neighbouring residents and a nearby children’s home.

Preston City Council planning officials had recommended that the conversion be approved, after concluding that the nine double bedrooms planned for the revamped three-storey dwelling would not have an “unacceptable” effect on the neighbourhood.

However, members of the authority’s planning committee disagreed after hearing from local councillors and a spokesperson for those living in the area about their fears.

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Dr. Ted Smith told the meeting at which the application was discussed that he and his neighbours – 17 of whom had objected to the proposal – were “not NIMBYs”.

“We recognise that there is a need for HMOs, but… not in this residential, family-oriented conservation area,” he said.

He added that there was “a strong sense of community” in the locality – to such a degree that households sought to “include” and support the occupants of the children’s home.

However, Dr. Smith said it would not be possible to incorporate the residents of an HMO into local life in that way, because of their “transient nature”.

He also claimed that the council was “legally responsible” for safeguarding young people in the area, warning: “We don’t want another Rochdale in Preston,” appearing to allude to the grooming scandal that hit the Greater Manchester town.

The operator of the children’s home – identified only as Ms. Cox – said there had been no indication of who the HMO was intended to accommodate – but said that its mere existence meant she would have to notify Ofsted, the regulator of her premises.

She added that it could affect the placement of children at the facility, which can cater for up to four young people at a time..

Ashton ward councillor Liz Atkins stressed the supportive nature of the community and said vulnerable people such as refugees were “welcome” – but described the plan as a “nightmare HMO” that could damage “social cohesion”.

“The only time you miss these aspects of an area – the community – is when [they are] gone,” Cllr Atkins warned.

Meanwhile, Cllr Mark Jewell who had requested that the application – which would ordinarily have been decided by town hall planning officers – be ’called in’ for consideration by the committee, said he had “extreme concerns” over parking.

The Lea and Larches ward councillor said the five proposed off-street spaces for vehicles were insufficient – and fell below the council’s own standards of “one per space per flat”, which he said should be upheld.

Responding to the issues that dominated the debate during the meeting, planning officer Laura Holden said there was “no evidence” to suggest that the HMO development “would increase crime in the area or anti-social behaviour”. The meeting also heard that highways officers at Lancashire County Council had not objected to the plans.

However, after an hour of discussion, the disquiet amongst committee members was obvious, with Cllr Lynne Brooks being one of several to state or imply that they were “uneasy” about the application.

She said that housing 18 people ”in what is a quite cohesive…small-ish area” was likely to lead to an “over-intensification” of the use of the property.

“I fail to see how there can’t be any loss of amenity,” Cllr Brooks said.

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