Five-bedroom HMO at The Woodman Public House, Dartford

What was proposed

The application sought five-year temporary use of the upper floors and part of the ground floor as a six-person HMO, with the public house retained.

“(7) The proposal is for the continued use of upper floors and part of ground floor as a 5 bedroom, 6 person House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) for a temporary period of 5 years from the date of any decision on this planning application.”

“(8) The rear part of the ground floor provides a communal lounge/dining room and kitchen for the HMO residents. Permission is not being sought for a change of use of the front part of the ground floor of the public house, nor the basement. The lawful use of the front part of the building at ground and basement level would remain as a public house use.”

Officer report

The site

The Woodman is a partly vacant public house with upper floors, a basement, rear amenity space and residential gardens around much of its boundary.

“(1) The application site comprises of The Woodman, a partly vacant public house located on the northern side of East Hill. The East Hill frontage has the appearance of a two storey building. The building also has a basement, and a second floor within the roof space, but with full height windows to the rear.”

“(3) The boundary to this rear amenity space is mainly abutted by the rear gardens of residential dwellings which are on East Hill, Brandon Road, Waldeck Road and St Albans Road.”

Officer report

Earlier application

A previous permanent proposal combining storage and an HMO was refused because of public house loss, district-centre impacts and highway safety concerns.

“(14) Application 25/00489/COU for a permanent 'Change of use from public house to commercial storage and a 5 bedroom, 6 person House of Multiple Occupation (retrospective)' was refused for the following reasons:”

“01 The development would result in the loss of a public house and/or local community facility for non-community purposes contrary to Policy M23 and Policy M17 of The Dartford Local Plan to 2037 and paragraph 98 of the National Planning Policy Framework.”

Officer report

Parking and conditions

Officers acknowledged local parking pressure but considered refusal unreasonable because the HMO was modest, temporary and sustainably located, subject to travel and parking conditions.

“(57) The previously refused application raised concerns with regard to the HMO use and the lack of resident parking leading to further parking pressures in the locality which could cause impact to amenity and create circumstances prejudicial to highway and pedestrian safety. The surrounding area suffers from significant parking pressures and congestion and there is little on-street parking capacity and the development could exacerbate these issues.”

“(58) The comments from KCC Highways are noted. However, seeking further measures to encourage car free occupants or a parking survey is considered unreasonable given the scale of the HMO and because the existing floor space would generate a parking demand and trip generation. Also, the temporary period of the HMO use. A condition requiring Travel Information Packs for residents could help with encouraging modal shift and is considered reasonable to require by condition.”

Officer report

Residents’ objections

Eleven local occupiers objected over traffic, parking, safety, noise, refuse, antisocial behaviour, building condition, infrastructure and HMO concentration.

“- Unsuitable location; busy road; adjacent signal-controlled junction; steep hill. - Traffic congestion is already severe. - Will generate additional traffic, movement, highway safety risks. - Vehicles using the front access is dangerous. Vehicles already do this and overhang the pavement. Due to the lack of parking occupants and residents routinely drive across the pavement to park. This results in a highway safety risk. - How will bins be collected.”

“HMOs do not contribute to the locality, do not address housing shortage and only serve landlords who do not maintain or manage the sites well. - Anti-social behaviour - the HMO use at the site has resulted in significant noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour; including occupants camping in the garden. Security risk due to all gardens backing onto the site. High density exacerbates the harm to neighbours. - HMO above pub is a conflict. - Impacts from the pub use; i.e.”

Officer report

What was said

The agent said the HMO was established, works were tidying the site, management would be improved and the five-year period would help secure finance.

The vote

The Chair’s motion to support the officer recommendation was seconded and carried by eight votes to six, with one abstention.

“The Chairman moved a motion to support the Officer’s recommendation to grant planning permission. The motion was seconded, put to a vote and carried. The vote was 8 in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention.”

Minutes

The decision

The Board granted planning permission subject to the conditions in the officer report.

“To grant planning permission subject to conditions in the report.”

Minutes

Main conditions

The permission lasts five years and requires travel information, six cycle spaces, no HMO parking in the frontage and protection of the public house area.

“Within 3 months of the date of this permission, a Travel Information Pack, containing information of available public transport options, how to access car club memberships, cycle store information, local walking and cycle routes, links and access to key services, shall be provided to existing and future residents for the lifetime of the…”

“No use as a House in Multiple Occupation shall take place on the ground floor area shown on drawing number Y2704-2026-A21 Rev00 Existing Ground Floor Plan as ‘Public House 87.3 sqm’.”

Officer report