A planning application to convert a studio flat into a shared home goes back before councillors next week.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee had been due to make a decision on the application by M&S Property Development last month.
But councillors were not satisfied that they had enough information to enable them to decide the application.
Officials have advised the committee to grant planning permission for a change of use and to allow a series of alterations to the building – the locally listed St Gabriel’s at 18A Wellington Road, Brighton.
The alterations include the installation of dormer windows at the front and side of the building and two roof lights at the back.
The roof work is intended to create more space inside, enabling a studio flat to be turned into a three-bedroom small “house in multiple occupation” (HMO) for five people.
Six objections outline concerns about the height, noise and the effect on St Gilbert’s as a locally listed building.
One objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The noise from mostly young tenants smoking, drinking and partying at all hours just ricochets off the other buildings and this has become intolerable.
“While frosted glass was insisted upon by planning directives, the residents just have the windows open all hours.”
Six comments in support the application have been sent to the council, with one praising a “good design”.
One supporter, whose details were also redacted, said: “There is no valid reason to deny planning permission in my opinion.
“The developer has made a wonderful job of renovating that rundown building and there is no noise or disturbance at all from that property. I live next door so I know this.”
As the council – unlike some other councils – has kept secret the names and addresses of those who comment, it is hard to know whether this is the case.
When the Planning Committee met last month, Labour councillor Liz Loughran, who chairs the committee, said that she was not satisfied that members could make a decision based on the evidence before them.
The committee backed a proposal by Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey to defer a decision to give the applicant time to provide more details and internal photographs.
The applicant is M&S Property Development which is run by three directors – Eskandar Sharanizadeh, 68, Maryam Taghavi Khonsari, 63, and Shayan Sharanizadeh, 27.
Their application had the backing of planning officials, not least because there were fewer HMOs in the immediate surrounding area than elsewhere in Brighton.
And the proposals were not expected to cause excessive harm to the wider building.
The Planning Committee is due to meet at 2pm at Hove Town Hall next Wednesday (8 May). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
