Plans to convert a family home into a six-bedroom shared house have attracted objections from dozens of neighbours and one of the councillors for the area.
Student housing company Rivers Birtwell has applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for planning permission for a change of use for 54 Auckland Drive, Brighton.
A report to the council’s Planning Committee recommended granting consent but Labour councillor Jacob Taylor, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, has joined residents in lodging an objection.
Councillor Taylor, who is also the deputy leader of the council, asked the committee to reject the proposal to turn the family home into a “small house in multiple occupation” (HMO).
He said that it was “against the existing planning policy” relating to shared homes in the ward, adding: “I strongly object to this application for a six-bed HMO.
“The house is well placed as a family home and we need to retain these in the area.”
The report to the Planning Committee said that there were 14 properties within 50 metres of the proposed shared house and none were HMOs.
Fewer than 20 per cent of houses in the wider neighbourhood area were HMOs, the house would not be “sandwiched” between two other shared houses nor would there be three HMOs with a continuous frontage – all of which would breach council policy.
An anonymous neighbour, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The area has too many HMOs already, with neglectful student households regularly fly-tipping rubbish and leaving unhygienic waste for vermin in the streets.
“There are issues with noise pollution and no available parking.”
Another anonymous objector, whose details were also redacted, said: “(The council makes) no mention of the effect that allowing an increasing number of HMOs has on the loss of family homes.
“The local primary school is already seeing numbers drop (as is the case in much of Brighton) and I know that this year they have combined some of their older classes. These houses were built to house families.”
Rivers Birtwell included a planning statement, prepared by the company’s planning agent Lewis and Co Planning. It said: “The proposals will offer high-quality shared accommodation designed to meet and exceed local standards.
“Rivers Birtwell have an excellent track record of delivering student accommodation across both Brighton and the UK, with a commitment to market-leading quality.
“The proposals have also been designed to meet all local planning and licensing standards.”
The Planning Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm next Wednesday (3 December). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
There is a surfeit of student accommodation if you take the application regarding Hollingdean Road as correct. There is certainly a lack of affordable family homes. So developers can’t have it both ways?
There are, however, several medium-risk supported accommodations nearby, which are exempted from being listed in the HMO register.