Plans to turn a former restaurant with a staff flat into a shared house are due to be decided by councillors next week.
The site is the former Artisa Café and Gallery, at 42 Waterloo Street, Hove, which went on the market in 2023.
The proposal, by property investor Rob Hogley, 41, is to convert the whole building into a small house in multiple occupation (HMO) for six people.
A previous planning application to turn the restaurant and staff flat into a large shared house for eight people was turned down in September.
The reasons for refusal were the small bedrooms, the lack of light and the “gloomy and oppressive” living conditions in the communal space.
But officials have submitted a report to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee recommending that councillors approve the latest plans for the premises.
The revised scheme has all bedrooms on the ground, first and second floors, with cooking facilities included as part of the upper-storey bedrooms.
It has a shared bathroom and toilet on the first floor and a basement that includes a communal living room, dining room and kitchen and “snug”. The ground floor also has a communal lounge.
Mr Hogley submitted a planning statement with his application, prepared by his agent, Lewis and Co Planning.
It said: “Bedrooms are generously proportioned, with the double rooms measuring between 15.7m2 and 16.2m2, and the two single rooms being 10.4m2 and 12.5m2.
“In addition, the first-floor bathroom provides for two bathing rooms (a shower room and bathroom) and two toilets (a single toilet and a second toilet within the bathroom).
“As three of the bedrooms will also have their own cooking facilities, the communal ‘pressure’ on the shared kitchen will be much less than for HMOs that only have one shared kitchen.
“There is a small courtyard at the rear of the premises … it can be seen that the proposed development will provide for a good standard of accommodation for future occupiers and complies with the space requirements of City Plan policies … for the quality of accommodation.”
The restaurant previously operating at the site had a 2am licence. Mr Hogley said in his application that it would have more of an adverse effect on neighbours than a shared house.
Neighbours have sent the council seven objections, raising concerns about noise, parking stress and pressure on rubbish and recycling bins. They also cited the number of existing shared homes in the area.
One anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “HMOs are often poorly maintained which could degrade the area’s appearance and desirability.
“They may also increase noise (and) litter and reduce integration between tenants and residents.
“The conversion of this property to an HMO represents overdevelopment and is inconsistent with the character of single-family homes in the area. This risks setting a precedent that could further erode the community’s stability.”
Another anonymous objector whose details were also redacted said: “Parking in the area is already inadequate and an HMO of this size is going to put a strain on many already stretched local services such as doctors, dentists, schools, etc.
“I’ve worked in adjoining Cross Street for 22 years and have experienced the issues of the worsening strain on local amenities during this time.”
Green councillor Ollie Sykes, who represents Brunswick and Adelaide ward, objected to the original application for an eight-bedroom house, citing concerns about noise, fire risk and communal space. He welcomed the change from eight to six bedrooms.
Councillor Sykes said: “Local residents’ concern about this application remains despite the proposed occupant number having been reduced and an additional ground floor communal area being added instead of a bedroom.
“While I welcome the modifications made by the developer, I continue to share the concerns of residents, in that a change at this location to an HMO greatly increases the use density and impact on the immediate area.”
The Planning Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm on Wednesday (8 January). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
I think it might be important to note the number of HMOs in this area currently that are supported accommodations, and there is no mitigation in place to say this would not become the same. Rather, it would be advantageous to the landlord to rent it to a commissioned service, as it is guaranteed rent for them.
Clustering of supported accommodations and vulnerable individuals has typically, in my experience, caused an increase in drug dealing, alcohol and drug-fueled antisocial and criminal behaviour, and plummeted the value of the local area. We have quite a few examples around the city of this.
Personally, I would be comforted if a convent was in place to prevent this being a commissioned service venue.