6 to 8 bed HMO at 11 Church Street, Bridgwater
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Somerset North on 10 Mar 2026.
No officer report was published for this decision; this summary is from the committee minutes.
What was proposed
The application sought a change of use to an 8-bedroom house in multiple occupation.
“The Planning Officer introduced the application with the aid of a presentation. The Officer explained that the application was to consider for Change of use to 8 bed house in multiple occupation (HMO).”
Minutes
What members debated
Members discussed HMO acceptability in the town centre, noise and disturbance, parking pressure and flood risk.
“Councillors discussed whether increasing the size of the existing HMO in a central Bridgwater location was acceptable in principle. Officers advised that the site lay within a sustainable town centre location, where HMOs were not precluded by policy, subject to amenity and other impacts being acceptable. • Councillors raised concerns about the potential impact of an 8-bed HMO on neighbouring residents, including noise, disturbance and intensity of use.”
Minutes
The vote
A proposal to refuse was lost by 4 votes to 5, then a proposal to grant permission was carried by 5 votes to 4.
“After deliberations Councillor Smedley proposed to refuse planning permission. This was seconded by Councillor Pearce. The motion was not carried.”
“Councillor Filmer then proposed to Grant planning permission. This was seconded by Councillor Hendry.”
Minutes
The decision
Planning permission was granted in line with the officer recommendation.
“Having been duly proposed and seconded the Planning Committee resolved that the Planning Application be GRANTED planning permission in line with the officer recommendation.”
Minutes
Sources
- Somerset North minutes, 10 March 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Somerset's committee minutes. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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See the API →At the meeting
- Committee
- Somerset North
- Council
- Somerset
- Date
- Tuesday 10 March 2026
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Vote
- 5 for, 4 against
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Somerset committee decisions →
Source: Plota analysis of the minutes.
This committee's year
13 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.