HMO decision to be appealed by developers who have ‘interests of the town in their business plan’

A planning appeal has been lodged after plans to convert vacant town centre office space into a HMO were rejected by councillors.

The application for 61 Regent Street had proposed that the building was converted into a five bedroom House Multiple Occupancy with communal facilities.

The property is located on a row of offices (including Wrexham.com’s HQ) in the conservation area of 61 Regent Street. Previously the property was home to ISP Architects, however the building is claimed to have been vacant for around three years.

The application had initially been recommended for approval, however in October 2017 Wrexham.com reported that the plans for the property had been rejected by 13 members of the planning committee amid concerns about the ‘substandard amenity for potential tenants’ in the property.

During a heated debate about the plans, councillors also voiced concerns about introducing a HMO in between a row of businesses and the risk of antisocial behaviour from tenants.

At the time planning officer, David Williams stated: “There is a concern about HMOs, I don’t think I’ll ever see the day where one is approved. I must admit I’m becoming frustrated because you cannot justify that this will have an adverse effect on the Conservation Area. It quite clearly doesn’t.

“To suggest that is going to have an adverse impact is indefensible, you can’t defend that because there’s no substance to the argument.”

Now an appeal has been lodged by the BluSky Developments Ltd, a company formed in May this year run by Roger Jesson and Mark Wilkins, which says it feels “the reason for refusal is based entirely on personal agenda rather than factual evidence”.

An extract from a letter submitted to the planning inspectorate reads: “We feel our application has been treated with prejudice and a general dislike of HMO’s. Whilst we fully appreciate the efforts of local councillors and acknowledge their input in to the community, we feel that on this occasion, personal preference has stood in the way of common sense.

“We also like to take this opportunity to encourage the local authority to police the use of the property under the terms of the HMO licensing agreement. If our residents were to cause nuisance and anti-social behaviour, we would want to work with the council to resolve the issue. Our understanding is that the licensing arrangement is there for a reason.

“We are a Wrexham based small business looking to grow and have the interests of the town firmly in our business plan.”