Carrington House, a care home in Wincanton, Somerset, built in the 1970s and closed by Somerset Care in 2023, has been granted retrospective permission to operate as a 35-bed House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Located north of the Carrington Way car park, the three-storey property sits on the northern edge of Wincanton, adjacent to residential areas on Carrington Way and Lock’s Lane. After its closure as a care facility, Somerset Council’s licensing team issued a license for the building’s conversion to an HMO, with rooms currently marketed through the Ad Hoc property website.
The council’s planning department has now formally approved the retrospective application, confirming that no modifications to the existing license or external alterations are required. The building maintains six allocated parking spaces at the rear, with additional parking available in the nearby public car park.
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HMOs typically provide individual bedrooms alongside shared communal spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms, and lounges. This arrangement aims to offer flexible accommodation suited for working professionals.
A representative from Pure Town Planning, acting on behalf of the applicant, highlighted the benefits: “These proposals support local employers by helping to attract staff and fill a gap in the market for flexible housing. This development adds valuable bedroom spaces without impacting the character or appearance of the area.”
The approval was granted through the delegated powers of Somerset Council’s planning officers rather than a public committee meeting. Senior planning officer Joel Grist noted that the site’s previous use as a care home already established residential usage, meaning the transition to an HMO is consistent in nature. No objections were raised by the council’s care team during the consultation process.
Additionally, because Wincanton is outside the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area, the application was not required to secure phosphate mitigation as part of the planning consent.