let house approved despite objections

Plans to convert a home into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been approved despite objections from nearby residents.

The two-storey home in Weston Favell, Northampton, will be converted from a four-bed family property to a five-bedroom shared house for six people.

One nearby resident told the council: "Northampton has become the HMO capital of the East Midlands."

Planning officers said the plan would not affect highway safety or result in the area having too many HMOs.

The proposal involves turning the garage into a kitchen, and converting the existing ground floor kitchen and lounge into bedrooms.

In total, 34 objections were lodged by disapproving members of the public, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service .

They raised concerns about an over-concentration of HMOs on the street, Bush Hill, suggesting the HMOs resulted in noise and disturbance and exacerbated parking problems for the surrounding homeowners.

One resident who branded the plans "appalling", said: "Northampton has become the HMO capital of the East Midlands. The town is unbelievably bad now and the filthy, litter-strewn roads off the Kettering Road and the Wellingborough Road towards Abington Square appear to be creeping this way.

"The vast majority of residents care about their homes on Bush Hill. Please think about this application and try to help the mainly local residents to keep at least some of Northampton fit to let their children walk along the streets."

Another wrote: "We have already had one family home changed into an HMO and have seen the negative impacts on the community already."

West Northamptonshire Council said there was only one other HMO nearby.

The council added that there was no evidence to suggest that the tenants would create any more impact than other residential occupiers.

The council concluded that the HMO was considered "acceptable" and approved the plans on 26 June.