Mansfield HMO allowed to stay after extra bedrooms were ‘so badly needed’
An HMO which was found to contain more bedrooms than it was permitted to have has been allowed to remain as it is by Mansfield Council.
The property on Newgate Lane, had eight bedrooms inside – but did not have planning permission to have more than five.
Permission was granted for the building to become a residential address in 2023, having previously been a martial arts and fitness centre, an adult learning centre and an electrical sales and repair centre.
That permission allowed for the ground floor of the property to become an HMO containing up to five bedrooms, which it did.
A year later in 2024, the council granted permission for the developers to create another HMO above the ground floor one removing the first floor roof and building upwards.
This HMO, on which construction began in March of that year and was completed in June 2025, was meant to have five bedrooms.
But a planning statement sent to the council from the developers says: “During the construction process it was pointed out to the applicant by his contractor that the void in the roof space could easily be adapted to create additional much-needed bedroom space.”
New internal stairs were then put in to lead up to three extra rooms in the loft.
The statement adds: “All necessary Building Regulation approval was obtained, however, at the time the applicant was unaware planning approval was required.
“No external alterations or alterations to the existing footprint were required to undertake the works and the best use of wasted space in the roof was made available to create an additional housing so badly needed not only in the Mansfield but nationwide.”
As well as not gaining permission to add the extra three bedrooms, the developers didn’t have permission to install skylights to the bedrooms, kitchen and lobby.
But council planning officers granted the development permission retrospectively on September 8.
The principle of development was found to be ‘acceptable’, with a report saying that the bedrooms ‘have no impact on the characteristics of the site as it would remain in residential use’, with the bedrooms passing floor size regulations .
The rooflights were also considered acceptable.
Under the conditions of the approval, no more than eight people are allowed to live in the eight bedrooms.