10-bedroom HMO and basement flat at 10 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone

What was proposed

The application sought a 10-bedroom HMO and basement flat, with rear extensions, an enlarged front courtyard and changes to windows.

“APPLICATION: Change of use from office and 1(no) flat to 10-bedroom House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and 1(no) basement flat, including ground floor rear extension, first floor rear extension, enlargement of lower ground floor courtyard to front, and alterations to fenestration.”

Officer report

The site

The semi-detached building had office use, an upper-floor flat, an existing rear extension and four office parking spaces.

“10 Tonbridge Road is a semi-detached property located on the northern side of Tonbridge Road, some 110m to the west of the junction with London Road. The building has an office use with a residential flat on the upper floors. The building has already been extended to the rear, in the form of a flat roofed ground floor extension; and the office use on the site currently benefits from four onsite parking spaces.”

“Vehicle access to the site is from the rear. The site to the east has been developed with a block of 19 flats; Tonbridge Road has been converted into 9 flats; and the surrounding area is a mixture of residential and commercial properties of differing style, scale and age. For the purposes of the Local Plan Review the application site is within the defined urban area; and the site is also in Flood Zone 1 and an area of archaeological potential.”

Officer report

Why officers recommended approval

Officers considered the design, amenity, HMO concentration, parking, bin storage and future occupants’ living conditions acceptable.

“The intensified use of the building and its curtilage has also been determined to not significantly harm the appearance of building or the character or amenity of surrounding area, given that it passes the ‘HMO concentration’ and ‘HMO sandwiching’ tests set out within the Council’s adopted HMO SPD.”

“Whilst the proposal provides no onsite parking provision, there is an extant planning permission for the building to be converted to a 9-bedroom HMO and self-contained flat (under 25/501315), and this approved scheme also provides no onsite parking provision with the justification for this set out in the main body of this Committee Report.”

Officer report

Concerns raised

Councillor Harper raised concerns about overdevelopment, HMO numbers, parking, amenity space and local residents’ concerns; no representations were received.

“LOCAL REPRESENTATIONS: No representations received.”

“Councillor Harper: Wishes to see application reported to Planning Committee if officers are minded to recommend approval. The following issues have been raised: - Overdevelopment; and site is adjacent to commencement of Gyratory system. - Proliferation of HMOs in lower part of Tonbridge Rd including: a.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The agent addressed the committee on behalf of the applicant.

The vote

The committee voted to grant permission, with 12 votes for, none against and one abstention.

“That the Head of Planning and Economic Development be given delegated powers to grant permission and to be able to settle or amend any necessary Heads of Terms, planning conditions and/or informatives in line with the matters set out in the recommendation and as resolved by the Planning Committee, including identifying an alternative ventilation source to the second bedroom.”

Minutes

The decision

Permission was granted subject to the conditions, with delegated powers including the ability to identify an alternative ventilation source for the second bedroom.

“That permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report.”

Minutes