A landlord wants to turn a living room into a sixth bedroom in a shared house in Brighton.
But neighbours and a councillor have objected – and it looks as though the planning application will have to be decided by Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee.
Mishbec Ltd, owned by Patrick Eraut, 53, was granted permission in December to turn the four-storey family house, in Elm Grove, Brighton, into a five-bed shared house.
Permission for the change of use to a shared house – or house in multiple occupation (HMO) – went through on the chair of the Planning Committee’s casting vote.
The plans included adding a rear extension and a dormer in the roof – and Mr Eraut told the meeting that he was creating a high-quality shared house for people on low incomes.
In his latest application, Mr Eraut said that he originally wanted the mid-terrace house, on the north side of Elm Grove, between Bonchurch Road and Whippingham Road, to have six bedrooms.
He amended his plans on the advice of a planning official, designating the property’s former dining room as a living room.
But a planning statement submitted on Mr Eraut’s behalf by his agent, DJM Town Planning, said: “The applicant and his agent did not agree that bedroom six would have unacceptable and substandard living conditions for its future occupants.
“But rather than hold up the application, the decision was made to remove bedroom six from the proposals and show it as a living room, as recommended by the planning officer.
“Clearly, an additional case would need to be put to the council for the sixth bedroom and it was felt that this should be dealt with under a separate application. This is that application.”
Green councillor Steph Powell, who represents Hanover and Elm Grove ward, has objected to the plans as she did when the previous application was submitted.
She said that the plans “would see the ground floor living space converted into a sixth bedroom”.
She added: “This makes the dwelling – an HMO – even bigger, in an already densely populated area, will put pressure on amenities and will add to noise for those living in adjacent properties.”
An objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “I believe the number of people in the house will cause a nuisance to neighbours sitting in the garden, especially so as there is only one open living space directly on to the garden.
“With six people, there will be an overspill into the garden and a noise nuisance to neighbours.
“From a practical perspective, I object to six people as there is nowhere to put six bikes (and) nowhere for the amount of rubbish generated by six adults. They will need two wheelie bins, not one, and who knows about recycling.”
A cycle storage area for three bicycles has been added to the front of the building.
To comment on the application, visit the planning pages on the council’s website at https://planningapps.brighton-hove.gov.uk/online-applications and search for BH2021/04478.
Will the students have to live there during the building work and keep paying full rent.
No, it’s a sneaky way of doing the planning.
You say 5 bedrooms and they have a nice living room ect, planners wave it though. Then go back and say oh actually let’s make it 6 knowing full well 6 bedrooms wouldn’t have gone through the first time. In the hope that now it’s a HMO, who cares kinda thing.
It’s just maximising profit over peoples standards of living, lowest of the low and its why landlords get a bad name.
Why not maximise profits? All businesses do it and all look for loopholes. Why focus on housing and vilify landlords? They are running a business, it involves investment, planning and management, like any other business, it isn’t free money. The HMO license means that standards are upheld, unlike in some of the council properties which are not subject to HMO, or the universities’ accommodation which is also exempt.
Just because bad behaviour is rife doesn’t mean it’s good. Landlords, broadly speaking, worsen the local area for their own enrichment.
Also, on a related note: HMOs are barely held to any standards at all, enforcement is a joke, and exploitative tenancies are becoming the norm in the city.