Councillors were warned “don’t wince” by South Gloucestershire’s top planner as she showed designs for a “massive” 10-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO) that they can’t stop.
A planning committee unanimously approved a change of use of the semi-detached property in Filton from an existing small HMO for six people to a large one for 10 residents after hearing they did not have a choice.
Members were told the owners of 82 Conygre Grove could already make big changes by building a rear extension and converting the loft under permitted development rights, which means planning permission is not required, and that the only consideration was the impact on neighbours of increasing the number of bedsits.
South Gloucestershire Council development manager Marie Bath told the development management committee on Thursday, June 6: “It is policy compliant in all respects in terms of providing sufficient parking spaces, amenity spaces, cycle store, bin store.
“It does not result in overconcentration (of HMOs in the area).
“There are extensions proposed to facilitate this change of use but very annoyingly all these extensions are permitted development, we cannot control them, so don’t be shocked when I show you the proposed design.
“We can’t stop them from making these extensions.”
As she brought up the images on the projector, she told members: “Don’t wince.”
Cllr June Bamford (Conservative, Hanham) said: “I don’t particularly like the look of it, it’s going to be massive and I can understand the neighbours being rather upset but it is policy compliant.
“I don’t think we really have a lot of choice.”
The town council and five residents objected to the plans.
Filton is the region’s hotspot for HMOs, with many family homes being turned into shared accommodation, which residents say is destroying longstanding communities and denying young people the chance to buy their first home in the area.
The council introduced tougher rules in 2021 that capped the number of HMOs to 10 per cent in a neighbourhood and 20 per cent within 100 metres of a property being converted to bedsits.
A report to Thursday’s committee said the proposals for the house in Conygre Grove were acceptable because only 5.3 per cent of homes in the locality were HMOs.
It said five parking spaces would be provided at the front of the building, which complies with council policy to have half a space per bed.
In 2022, the council introduced an even stricter policy, called Article 4 Directions, covering this part of Filton and a couple of other areas removing permitted development rights to convert homes into even small HMOs.
But planning agents, on behalf of applicants KASA Real Estate, said in a letter to the local authority that this came into force after the four bedroom property became a small HMO.
They said the house had been previously enlarged with a first-floor side extension and that the additional changes were “modest”.
The agents said: “The site currently has a good size rear/side garden and existing parking at the front of the property for two cars.
“The proposal enlarges the existing driveway to provide five off-street parking spaces.
“We consider that the proposal to change the use of the site will contribute to the mix of housing types in the locality.
“The change of use would not give rise to significant harm to the amenity of neighbours.
“The applicant is an experienced HMO landlord, who successfully operates a large number of existing HMOs across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
“Allowing the change of use on this is a modest change from a small HMO to a 10-bed large HMO (and) adds to the variety of housing types available in Filton.”