A controversial plan to enlarge a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) in Oldbury is set to be decided by councillors next week, following objections from local residents. The application, which seeks to add two bedrooms to the existing three-bed HMO on Ashtree Road in Tividale, has been recommended for approval by Sandwell Council's planning officers.
Neighbour opposition and a scaled-back proposal
The proposal has not been without local dissent. During the public consultation period, two formal objections and a petition bearing 15 signatures were submitted against the extension plans. The current application represents a significant reduction from the initial scheme, which aimed to create a seven-bedroom HMO.
Council planners deemed that original design "excessive," warning it would have had a "significant impact" on the light and outlook for the neighbouring property. The revised plan involves a single and two-storey side extension, plus a single-storey rear extension, to accommodate a total of five bedrooms.
Planning officers' verdict and committee decision
In a report prepared for the upcoming planning committee meeting, officers concluded the downsized scheme is acceptable. They stated the reduced extension would not cause undue harm to the attached property, which itself has been extended. The officers also addressed concerns often associated with HMOs.
"The area is characterised by mixed house types of differing ages, some of which have been extended over the years," the report notes. "The proposed extensions would assimilate into the area, and the extended HMO would appear as any other property in the street."
It further adds, "[There is no evidence] that the occupants would be more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour than those of any other larger family home in the street. Indeed, the property already functions as a HMO and no claims of wrongdoing by residents has been raised."
Final decision lies with councillors
Despite the officer's recommendation for approval, the final say rests with elected members. Sandwell Council's planning committee will make the definitive ruling at a meeting in Oldbury on January 7. They will consider both the professional assessment and the strength of local feeling expressed through the petition and objections before casting their votes.
