Sandwell Council Rejects Major HMO Conversion for Former Police Training Centre
Plans to transform a former West Midlands Police training centre into a substantial 76-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) have been formally rejected by Sandwell Council. The proposal for Windmill House on Windmill Lane in Smethwick has been turned down following a detailed assessment by local planning authorities.
Historic Building and Controversial Proposal
The three-storey Windmill House building dates back to the 1970s and served as both a training facility and accommodation for West Midlands Police until its closure last year. The property was subsequently sold to MNP Investment Holdings in June 2025 as part of a police estate rationalization program.
Developer Kamraan Ahmed of Meizon Ltd had submitted plans to convert the vacant structure into a large-scale HMO featuring 76 individual rooms. The application suggested the accommodation would specifically target healthcare workers from the nearby Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, which opened in 2024, as well as young professionals.
Council's Comprehensive Rejection
Sandwell Council planners identified multiple significant issues with the proposed development. They described ground floor rooms as having "unacceptable" views dominated by warehouses, boundary treatments, and cycle storage facilities, labeling the overall plans as "oppressive" and "substandard."
The council expressed particular concern about the impact on neighboring properties, warning of "direct and intrusive overlooking" that would result in substantial loss of privacy for adjacent residents. Communal facilities within the proposed HMO were deemed "inadequate" for the scale of the development.
Specific Planning Concerns Detailed
External Amenity and Accessibility Issues
Planning documents highlighted several critical deficiencies:
- Insufficient usable and accessible external amenity space
- Poor pedestrian connectivity from the car park to the rear of the site
- Inadequate accessibility to cycle storage facilities
- A poorly accessed first-floor communal terrace lacking appropriate defensible space and privacy screening
- Unsatisfactory waste management arrangements with inadequate refuse storage provision
Parking and Traffic Problems
The proposal would have reduced the site's existing 47 parking spaces to just 23 spaces, creating what planners called a "significant shortfall" compared to the 38 spaces normally required for such a development. Council officials warned this insufficient provision would likely lead to:
- Overspill parking onto surrounding residential streets
- Increased competition for limited on-street parking
- Additional vehicular movements creating noise and disturbance
- Harm to the amenity of neighboring properties
Regeneration Context and Wider Implications
The rejection comes as the surrounding area undergoes significant regeneration planning, including proposals for hundreds of new homes and a new educational facility. Windmill House was among several West Midlands Police properties declared surplus to requirements, with Smethwick and Oldbury police stations also being marketed for sale.
The planning application had emphasized the project's alignment with local regeneration goals, describing it as a retrofit of a "1970s utilitarian structure" into "high-quality" accommodation positioned just 500 metres from the major hospital. However, council planners ultimately determined the proposal failed to meet necessary standards for residential development in the area.
This decision represents a significant setback for the proposed conversion and highlights the rigorous planning standards being applied to major residential developments in Sandwell's regeneration zones.
