COUNCILLORS have opposed plans for a five-bedroom HMO in the Rhondda.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council’s planning committee voted against plans for a change of house from a house to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Wern Street, Clydach Vale, at a meeting on Thursday, February 13.
A request was received from Councillor Mark Norris for the matter to come to committee so members could consider the full scope of the proposal.
And the committee voted against the officer recommendation to approve it based on poor amenity, overdevelopment, parking concerns, and the lack of outside space meaning it will come back to committee for the strengths and weaknesses of making such a decision to be considered.
The plans involve a number of internal alterations only with no external works to the property required or proposed.
The HMO would accommodate an entrance hallway, lounge/diner, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom on the ground floor and four bedrooms and a toilet at first-floor level.
Under the plans the garden area to the rear of the property would be kept and the proposal would see the creation of two parking spaces within the rear amenity space accessed from the rear lane.
The main access would be gained off Wern Street to the front.
There have been three letters of objection received from local residents following consultation and they said it was extremely upsetting to see a small terraced house ripped apart and to see a family home converted in this way denying a low-income family the opportunity to buy or rent.
They asked how five occupants can be fitted in a small terrace house and said these houses are just fodder for “greedy developers”.
The objectors said there are already a large number of rentals and claimed the place is slowly losing its identity.
They said there was insufficient parking and raised concerns over traffic congestion as the property is located on a corner and concerns over an increase antisocial behaviour, waste, and rats.
They said it would change the character of house and the two off-road parking spaces were unlikely to be used regularly because of poor access.
They said parking now makes access and egress to the street in to Wern Street dangerous with cars both sides and right up to the junction and that tenants will be on short-term tenancies which results in different people living there.
Cllr Norris said: “I think it’s overdevelopment and won’t provide the tenants with the adequate space or amenities needed.”
He said they’ve had many applications for HMOs in similar Valleys terraced properties over the last year and the vast majority look to maximise profits over providing adequate space and amenities for the tenants saying this was no different.
Cllr Norris said in most cases people who live in Clydach Vale need a car as an essential item so this means a possible six more cars looking for car parking spaces.
He said they are in the same situation in RCT as most of Wales and the rest of the UK where they have a large number of people waiting for homes and that they also recognise the UN human rights call for adequate housing.
He said: “HMOs can help to meet that need for housing but only if they are actually adequate and only if they don’t impinge on the living conditions and rights of the people already living in that community.”
Councillor Sharon Rees, chair of the committee, said it was disappointing to see a lot of terraced family homes being converted to maximise profit and claimed the standard of accommodation was “substandard”.
In recommending approval planning officers said the proposed change of use would not result in an adverse impact upon the character of the site or highway safety.
They said that since the new use would still be a residential one, occupying a sustainable location, it would be considered to be compatible with the surrounding land uses.
