3 Lawson Road Southsea PO5 1SD Data via plota.co.uk

26/00463/FUL - Full Application Refused

Proposal

Change of use from house in Multiple Occupation (Class C4) to seven person/seven bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (Sui generis) Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
13 Apr 2026
✓
Validated
14 Apr 2026
✓
Committee
8 Jul 2026
✗
Refused
13 Jul 2026
✓
Consultation
21 Jul 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 13 Jul 2026 · Committee Decision · Last checked 23 Aug 2026

Planning committee

Decided by Portsmouth Planning Committee on 8 Jul 2026.

Refused

Against officer advice: officers had recommended approval.

  • Officers advised unconditional permission because the occupancy increase was not a material change and the proposal complied with policy.
  • Four objections cited HMO concentration, housing balance, amenity, living conditions, infrastructure, registration and parking concerns.
  • The committee refused the application, citing over-intensification, amenity effects, emerging policy, nitrate mitigation and recreational disturbance.
Read how the committee decided The proposed change, site history, officers’ assessment, objections, deputations, committee debate, vote and reasons for refusal. Includes the meeting recording

Source: Plota analysis of Portsmouth's committee minutes of 8 Jul 2026.

Site constraints 2

Nutrient neutrality catchment: Solent: Includes Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA/Ramsar, Solent and Southampton Water SPA/Ramsar, Solent Maritime SAC, Portsmouth Harbour SPA/Ramsar
New homes and overnight accommodation must show nutrient neutrality before approval.
Natural England advice: extra wastewater in these catchments harms protected habitats, so schemes must offset their nutrient load, usually through credits.
Also on the record
Inside the Portsmouth built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Sales history 1

Last sold for £240,000 in December 2025. Terraced house, freehold.

18 December 2025£240,000Recorded as a transfer outside a standard sale

Sale prices from HM Land Registry's price paid record, matched to this application by its address.

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Important details

Council
Portsmouth
Application type
Full Application
Postcode
PO5 1SD
Received
13 Apr 2026
Validated
14 Apr 2026
Ward
Central Southsea
Case officer
Show
Target decision
9 Jun 2026
Decision
Refuse
Decision date
13 Jul 2026
Decision level
Committee Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Well Planned Ltd
Freehold owner
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 90 days from validation, 21 days slower than Portsmouth's median of 69 for changes of use. Refused, as 46% of changes of use here are.

43%decided within 8 weeks
54%approved
24%go to committee

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Portsmouth in the last twelve months, from validation. Portsmouth decision record →

Public comments

5comments received
5 objecting

100% object · above the UK average of 75%

11 neighbours consulted · Last counted 23 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14853405
Neighbours
21 Jul 2026
Comments by
11 Aug 2026
Site or press notice
22 Apr 2026
Committee
8 Jul 2026
Env. assessment
No
Portsmouth
Planning Authority Score
3.1/10
Poor
#232 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Portsmouth ranks #188 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. 48% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (89%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Portsmouth decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
86%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #196 of 296
89%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #207 of 296
60%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #188 of 296
48%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #217 of 296
61%
Minor dwellings approved
44 decided (1-9 homes)
90%
Major dwellings approved
10 decided (10+ homes)
77%
Change of use approved
99 decided
613
Total decisions
85 refused in the year to March 2026

Sale prices: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Freehold boundary: © Crown copyright and database rights 2026, HM Land Registry. Polygons © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey 100026316. Conditions of use

Freehold owner: Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Source: HM Land Registry, UK and overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, September 2026 release.