Planners approve shared house in Patcham

Councillors approved plans for a shared house despite objections from neighbours and a councillor for the area.

A former family home at 65 Ladies Mile Road, in Patcham, can be converted into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for up to seven people.

Planning permission was granted by seven votes to two when Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 2 October).

The applicant, Bridget Haxby, of Hill Drive, Hove, had already reduced the proposed maximum number of occupants by two from nine to seven.

Neighbour Michelle Graham and Conservative councillor Anne Meadows, who represents Patcham and Hollingbury ward, spelt out their objections at the meeting at Hove Town Hall.

Mrs Graham was concerned about the potential for noise and the difference between a family’s movements and seven individuals coming and going from the house on the corner of Ladies Mile Close.

She said: “We are likely to suffer increased noise pollution, particularly as the communal spaces are directly adjacent to our lounge. An element of connection between future occupiers cannot be guaranteed.

“Indeed, each person is likely to have their own timetable (and) the cumulative level of comings and goings as well as social events is likely to be more frequent, potentially including anti-social hours.”

Mrs Graham said that her family had also experienced disturbance with the house operating as a smaller HMO.

Councillor Meadows said the application would set a precedent in the area and a shared could be used as an unregulated Airbnb.

She said: “Planning permission for any development or change of use should not be granted where it would cause material nuisance and loss of amenity to the existing adjacent users.

“And yet this is what you would be agreeing to. The increased noise level for anyone in this property would be detrimental to the neighbours, particularly as it is a semi-detached property and the adjoining family have already had problems in this case.”

Conservative councillor Carol Theobald voted against the application, saying that the area was not suited to shared houses as there were no HMOs.

She said: “The main thing about this application is it is an unsuitable location in an entirely residential neighbourhood on a busy corner and close to two schools.

“Individual occupants generate noise and refuse and parking. There’s not any residential parking on this at all. It’s not like it’s near a university or a language school. It’s not that sort of an area.”

Councillor Theobald asked for a condition requiring a noise study to see if soundproofing was necessary.

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said that a seven-bedroom shared house was too much.

Councillor Fishleigh said: “My oldest son has lived in HMOs in the city for the past four years. The one that was most shocking to me when I visited was when he lived with five other people so six bedrooms.

“I said ‘how come?’ and he said ‘no one takes responsibility for anything or everything and it just accumulated’. I know that’s a generalisation but that is my experience.”

Labour councillor Joy Robinson voted in favour but backed Councillor Theobald’s proposal for sound-proofing if required.

Councillor Robinson said: “It’s not just students who live in these properties. A couple of our own younger Labour councillors live in this type of property. It’s for all sorts of young people who can’t quite afford their own homes.

“They’re getting up early to go to work the same as we all are. They’re coming home tired and cooking their dinner and watching a bit of TV so it’s not a bad thing.”

Green councillor Sue Shanks also voted in favour. She said: “We do need this type of housing as much as we need family housing.

“They need a parking scheme up there. Then they’ll have to pay to park and that might help but that’s not our decision.”