HMO plans for town centre office refused – with claims tenants are being treated as “second class citizens”

A heated debate between councillors and a planning officer broke out yesterday over plans to convert former office space into a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).

The application put before councillors at yesterday’s meeting proposed that 61 Regent Street was to be converted into a five bedroom HMO.

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 concerns were raised by councillors about the impact on neighbouring businesses and the lack of amenity space for the potential HMO tenants.

Speaking against the application, owner of 67 Regent Street, Joanna Kinch said: “I personally have invested substantial amounts of money in these prominent conservation properties. We have done this seeing the fantastic potential of the area.

“We believe that introducing a HMO into what is presently and what is known as a prominent professional commercial area would be incongruous in nature. It could in time cause an unfortunate domino effect which in time thus will result in businesses providing a cross-section of services, bringing money into the town and serving the wider community, would likely be forced out.”

Mrs Kinch also noted that residents of the HMO could use the front stepped area, which is part of the properties and not pavement, to ‘set up benches, set up deckchairs, having a barbecue or setting up rotary dryers’ – resulting in a negative visual impact for those driving along Regent Street into Wrexham and for residents in Caxton Place.

She added: “In summary, on behalf of the group I assert that this proposed development, if permitted by the honourable committee would have wide ranging, negative effects on this town’s great group.

“It would ultimately result in the development’s inability to coexist in a satisfactory fashion with an already well-established commercial properties in a main gateway into Wrexham and within the wider Grosvenor Road Conservation Area.

“Finally this development would undermine all the Conservation Area seeks to achieve and be detrimental to the aspirations of the area and Wrexham.”

Such concerns were echoed by councillor for Brynyffynnon, Phil Wynn, who said it was “flimsy” to use a change of use to a HMO as an enhancement of the Conservation Area, adding that he objected to the proposed change of use.

He continued: “Dwellings occupied by three or more persons should require a minimum of 50sqm of garden space. The amended plans submitted recently show the removal of a parking space following representations that the layout did not work for the occupant.

“This now leaves a space of 12sqm which also needs to provide space for commercial bins as they need to be screened away and two sheltered and secure cycle sheds, along with providing space for five occupants and their visitors for recreational purpose.

“I do believe if this application is approved it will end up with neighbouring businesses giving serious consideration to relocating elsewhere, which I think would undermine the feel of this part of the Conservation Area. That is the discussion I have had with adjacent owners and obviously if this was to happen and antisocial behaviour was brought to this property, to protect their businesses they would look to relocate.”

On the topic of a planning condition being in place to prevent tenants from storing bins and the like at the front of the property, Cllr Wynn questioned how “robust” the local authority would be in enforcing such a condition

However planning officer David Williams pointed out it would be difficult to refuse the application conversation grounds and that the condition on the addendum would prevent any bin storage or ancillary use at the front of the property.

Addressing Cllr Wynn’s comments about the space for tenants, Mr Williams said: “The amenity area is a standard we use on a new house development of 50sqm which is something we’d look at as a guidance of property layouts. To use that as a reason to justify refusal would be difficult.

“It’s an existing property, it has land to the rear, clearly there’s scope to increase what they have provided for at the expense of a parking space. Knowing how these properties operate, what we’ve got is it’s probably more than adequate to serve the needs of a small HMO use.

“In many respects of the potential threat of commercial properties leaving because of antisocial behaviour is not a material planning consideration. If there are issues there or which are those causing concern to the adjoining occupiers then that’s something that’s either dealt with through the licensing or the police.

“I would point out that it is different in some respects to a HMO in a residential area as they do have potential for disturbance, particularly in the evenings.  Properties either side of this are commercial and from my experience are empty after 5:30pm in the evening.”

Cllr Wynn hit back at the comments, stating: “To reiterate that 12sqm for five people, plus their visitors. It’s not even that, it’s 10.7sqm for five people to live. Yet a new development we would happily ask for 50sqm.

“I think we’re treating people who live in £65 HMOs as second class citizens in our town and that is why you get tensions in these because we’re happy to sign off substandard housing qualities. I am not very happy about that.”

A number of concerns were also raised by members of the committee, with Cllr Andy Williams and Cllr Frank Hemmings stating that could not support the application

Cllr I David Bithell said: ” I will not be supporting this today. It is a Conservation Area and it’s one of the main routes into Wrexham. What’s going to happen is you’ll have antisocial behaviour, businesses will move from there and you’ll end up with more HMOs in the area.

“I’ve mentioned in the past about open spaces for HMO and residence and we just wash it away, they’ll manage in little spaces, not fair to them.

“Aren’t we looking into a new policy on HMOs, when will that happen?”

The committee was told a meeting was due to take place today with town centre members, however it was for planning guidance rather than a specific new policy.

Mr 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.

“The shop frontage is a modern frontage, it’s fully glazed, modern front door, it doesn’t reflect the quality of the Conservation Area. There are proposals look to reinforce traditional features – the bay window and the door is more traditional and there no other alterations at first floor level.

“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.”

Cllr Marc Jones noted that if the committee was to refuse the application, it would have to find valid reasons to do so.

He said: “As an adjoining ward member I am aware of how fragile the town centre is and how fragile the local economy is and how we need to be encouraging small businesses in every way possible. Actually despite the problems in terms of letting, it is an attractive and thriving location for small businesses close to the town centre.

“On that basis I think having a HMO directly in the middle of it would be a huge disruption to that site and to that row of properties. It would make it virtually impossible for future businesses to relocate there – it would make is very unattractive and that is not what we want to do. We want to make it more attractive for local businesses to locate in the town centre.

“I think we’re all aware, particularly the town centre members, of problems caused potentially by HMOs and we can’t pre judge, and I don’t wish to prejudge, but I have a huge concern about the size of the amenity area, we are talking about allowing five people share a car parking space.

“I think part of the problems in terms of HMOs and antisocial behaviour is because we don’t treat tenants like human beings and if you cage people up and don’t allow them the space, I don’t think that’s an acceptable place.”

Cllr Jones called for refusal of the application on the substandard amenity for potential tenants.

Prior to the vote, Mr Williams said that while the committee are entitled to refuse the application, he thought the committee “are clutching at straws”.

13 councillors voted in favour of refusing the application and two councillors abstained from the vote.

In the spirit of transparency, Wrexham.com are based in one of the offices at 67 Regent and Joanna Kinch is our landlord.