Bath and North East Somerset Council has unanimously rejected plans to convert a three-bedroom prefabricated home in Twerton into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO). The proposal, submitted by developer Rivers Birtwell, aimed to transform the property into a shared house accommodating unrelated adults, but councillors deemed it an overdevelopment that would negatively impact the local community.
The planning committee’s decision on September 24 comes amid growing concerns about the conversion of family homes into HMOs. Just days earlier, the council called for stronger measures to curb such conversions, proposing a new policy in its upcoming local plan to prevent three-bedroom homes suitable for families and first-time buyers from being turned into HMOs. However, this policy has not yet been enacted.
Councillor Ian Halsall (Oldfield Park, Liberal Democrat) highlighted the frequency of HMO applications, saying, “It is not a month goes by without us having to consider an HMO application.” The developer’s plans included creating four bedrooms upstairs, repurposing the conservatory to expand the living area, and enlarging a side extension to add another bedroom.
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Local resident Brian Maddocks, who has lived next door for 40 years, expressed his distress to the committee. “All these greedy people are coming in, snapping up these places, making extreme profits and you are going to make my life hell and my wife’s a hell because it will always remain a student house,” he said.
Councillor Sarah Moore (Twerton & Whiteway, Liberal Democrat) warned about the structural concerns, noting that the party wall separating the homes is “paper thin.” Because the homes are constructed with metal frames and wire mesh, she and other councillors questioned the effectiveness of the proposed soundproofing measures.
Independent Councillor Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North) criticized the development as excessive. “There’s not much to like about this application. I appreciate they have, as a token gesture, reduced it from seven bedrooms to six. But six is still an overdevelopment. This house was never intended to be six bedrooms to accommodate six adults. That was never the intention of this estate,” he noted.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Southdown, Liberal Democrat) acknowledged the limitations of current planning rules but underscored the urgency of addressing the issue. “We can’t just say it must stay as a family house because that’s not a planning consideration for the moment. But it is a real issue and it is something as a council that we have to much more seriously address — and at speed, because of the speed with which these applications are coming in.”
The council ultimately refused the application on the basis of overdevelopment and the negative impact on neighbouring residents' quality of life.