ONE of Wrexham’s oldest residential buildings could be turned into a home for 10 people despite concerns people are being ‘squeezed in’.
The Grade II listed property at 61 King Street is currently a business premises with living space above. It is part of a terrace block established in 1828 as the first formally planned residential street in Wrexham.
Most recently the building was the premises of accountancy firm Azets, but property developer Lee Chaloner is now planning to turn it into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) for 10 people.
Permission was granted last year for the building to become a HMO for six people.
Wrexham councillor Marc Jones – who represents the Grosvenor ward that includes King Street – told the planning committee he was concerned that the plans to increase the occupancy of the building amounted to ‘squeezing people in’.
“I don’t think there are planning reasons to reject this,” he admitted. “But I do have concerns about the numbers being squeezed in to some of these properties and I will be taking that up with licensing.
“I do have concerns that we’re not providing amenity space for 10 people. They don’t have any communal living space in the house, there’s a back yard which is going to suffice for bins, for parking, for bikes and drying clothes.
“There’s nowhere basically for them to sit out. I think it’s unreasonable and unrealistic to expect people to congregate in Llwyn Isaf if they want to go out and sit in the sun.”
Despite his concerns permission to increase the capacity of the development to house 10 people in the HMO was granted.
