Bedford Borough Council has refused retrospective planning permission for the change of use of a Bedford house from a dwelling to a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
The application (25/02461/S73A) sought retrospective permission for 55 Honey Hill Road, where development work had already been carried out.
In its decision notice, issued on 5 February, the council said the proposal would result in “a poor quality development” and would fail to provide future occupiers with “a healthy living environment”.
The council’s refusal cited “inadequate communal space” and “no indoor drying space”, as well as concerns about the internal layout, including the size of the kitchen and the access arrangement of the kitchen and bathroom.
The decision notice also referred to “an absence of any window” to provide “natural light, outlook and ventilation” to one of the bedrooms.
The officer’s report states that the submitted plans indicated the ground floor lounge and dining room would be converted into bedrooms, “resulting in the absence of any communal living space in the dwelling”.
Three objections were received from neighbours, raising concerns including noise and disturbance, parking and traffic, density and overcrowding, and the presence of a pre-existing HMO at 49 Honey Hill Road.
The council concluded the proposal was contrary to policies in the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2030, Principle 2 of the council’s adopted Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document, and paragraph 135(f) of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
