HMO controversy set to rage again after plans for two more in Mansfield

One is for a large, distinctive building at the junction of St John Street and Rosemary Street, while the other is for a property on Princes Street.

They are just the latest in a surge of planning applications received by Mansfield District Council to convert properties into HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), whereby individual residents rent rooms, rather than the entire house, from the landlord.

They have split opinion, with some saying they help to address a shortage of affordable housing but others claiming they give neighbourhoods a bad reputation.

Some residents living near HMOs insist they attract anti-social behaviour, and Mansfield’s Labour MP Steve Yemm has expressed his concern that so many seem to be springing up, endangering “community cohesion”.

However, the council’s Local Plan contains a specific policy that supports HMOs, “providing there is not an over-concentration of them, resulting in harm to the balance and character of the area”.

The latest couple for planning officers to grapple with concern properties that are already in residential use and sit within predominantly residential areas of Mansfield.

The change-of-use application at 9, St John Street is to convert a “substantial, three-storey, detached” house that is already shared by six residents into a seven-bedroom, seven-person HMO.

It has been made by Jack Townsend, entrepreneurial boss of respected Mansfield-based letting agents Estate Trader, who stresses that the HMO would be “professionally managed”.

This would ensure “full control of tenant behaviour, maintenance of communal areas, waste management and compliance with HMO licensing standards”.

A planning statement points out that the property has a long history of shared occupancy, dating back to 1995 when permission was granted to convert it into eight bedsits.

It was ideally located close to public transport routes, jobs, services and facilities and “would not create unacceptable impacts upon neighbours”.

No external alterations to the building were proposed, thus preserving its character, and no additional parking spaces were needed.

Meanwhile, the council has received a similar change-of-use application to turn a two-storey, terraced home at 49, Princes Street into a six-bedroom HMO.

It has been submitted by Mathew Saunders, the sole director of the Bedfordshire-based real-estate company, Matte Interiors Holdings Ltd.

A planning statement reveals that the building has been rented out for many years but is in poor condition.

It would be fully refurbished and the HMO would “provide high-quality, professionally managed accommodation, suitable for working professionals and key workers”.

The interior of the building would be reconfigured, while both fire safety and sound insulation would be upgraded.

A professional management plan would be implemented, ensuring regular inspections, clear guidelines for tenants and a 24/7 response to any problems.

The statement goes on: “The proposal includes low-energy lighting and improved heating efficiency.

"It would provide modern accommodation for working individuals, increase local spending, create employment during refurbishment and contribute to the long-term improvement of the area’s housing.”

The council’s planning officers hope to make decisions or recommendations on the two proposals by early April.

THE details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/