HMO plans for former bar and hotel near Wrexham town centre recommended for approval

Revised plans to turn a former bar and hotel into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) could be given the go ahead next week.

The proposals for the former Soul Suite and Albion Hotel in Pen y Bryn, on the outskirts of the town centre, include converting the three storeys into 11 bedrooms.

This would include four bedrooms on the ground floor, along with a living / dining room and toilet and shower facilities. A further three bedrooms and a communal kitchen area would be on the second floor and four bedrooms with en suite facilities on the fourth floor.

It is the second time such plans have been put forward for the building, with the applicants stating earlier this year that despite the ground floor being advertised to let since 2017, they had received little interest.

However these plans were rejected by the chief officer at Wrexham Council, Lawrence Isted, via a delegated decision in October.

At the time Mr Isted said the council would look “more favourably upon a less intensive scheme which retains the commercial use on the ground floor and creates quality residential apartments on the upper floors, more in keeping with the Pen y Bryn mixed use regeneration area.”

A revised application including a reduction in the number of tenants and amenity area was submitted in November 2019 and has been recommended for approval by Mr Isted.

However the new proposals have been met with objection by local representatives, with the Offa Community Council stating that it is “important that the ground floor commercial use is retained under the requirements of the

It has also raised concerns about” an over intensive concentration of HMO properties in the locality which are having an adverse impact on the Conservation Area” and the “inadequate and is unacceptable” amenity space.

Offa councillor Alun Jenkins has also questioned whether the location is appropriate for a HMO and that the “conversion of the upper floors into a small number of high quality apartments which would do far more to achieve the intentions of the Regeneration Area plans.”

Mr Isted said: “The applicant has now produced a less intensive scheme and whilst this does not retain the commercial use on the ground floor, being in the town centre (Policy S9 – Loss of Local Facilities – does not apply) there are no planning policy grounds to insist upon the retention of the public house on the ground floor.

“Further, as the building is outside of the Penybryn district shopping centre, Policy S5 (protecting viability of district shopping centres) does not apply.

“Since the previous submission, the intensity of the HMO originally proposed has been reduced by half from 22 occupants to 11.

“Given that adequate outdoor space, bin and cycle storage has now be provided in accordance with planning policy and guidance, I am content that the use will not result in an overdevelopment of site.

“There would be no impact on highway safety or the character of the conservation area. I have concluded that the use will not result in an over concentration of HMOs with the locality, and I recommend accordingly.”

The application will be considered by planning committee members at 4pm on Monday 2nd March. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.