Councillors in Bath have unanimously rejected a controversial proposal to convert a three-bedroom family home into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO). The application, submitted by Forest Edge Properties, sought permission to transform 6 Southdown Avenue into an HMO, initially proposing seven bedrooms with two added in the garage, before scaling back to six bedrooms including a bedroom and bathroom in the garage space.
At the Bath and North East Somerset Council planning committee meeting on July 30, members strongly opposed the plan despite a recommendation for approval from planning officers. Paul Crossley, committee member for Southdown representing the Liberal Democrats, described the proposal as “outrageous greed” and criticized the overcrowding of an unsuitable building.
Local councillor Dine Romero echoed these concerns, highlighting how the bedrooms would be cramped into a small family home. She emphasized potential tensions arising from housing too many unrelated or related individuals in a confined space, and warned that converting affordable family homes into HMOs contributes to the displacement of families, increasing traffic congestion as they commute back into the city for work and education.
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Crossley raised the issue of substandard room sizes and noted that much of the ground floor would be converted into bedrooms, leaving incoming tenants with less than 23 square meters of shared kitchen and sitting room space. Shaun Hughes, another committee member, called the plan an overdevelopment, stating the house was never designed to accommodate so many occupants.
HMOs, typically rented to three or more unrelated individuals, are often associated with student populations in Bath. Local resident Jonathan Spence expressed concerns online that increasing student HMOs could transform the neighborhood into an overcrowded area similar to Oldfield Park, where students displace long-term residents, leading to social problems.
However, Eleanor Jackson, a Labour councillor for Westfield, pointed out the tenants of HMOs are not limited to students and could include essential workers such as nurses from the nearby Royal United Hospital. She highlighted the broader issue of high rents pushing key workers far from their workplaces.
The committee also noted escalating parking difficulties in the area, exacerbated by spillover from nearby residents' parking zones such as Oldfield Park and Westmoreland.