Planning permission submitted for Bedford HMO - which has been occupied since January

An application to change a Bedford home to a “house in multiple occupation” has been submitted to Bedford Borough Council – but it’s been occupied since January.

The retrospective application is for the conversion of 12 Great Aldens to a property with six letting rooms, each with single occupancy.

The application states that occupants will be sharing kitchen and dining facilities, and some of the rooms will be sharing shower room facilities.

The applicant said the conversion work was completed on the basis that “planning consent was not required for such a change of use”, adding that this was previously the case but the rules had changed before the work had been completed.

After the property owners had been advised that planning consent was required they submitted a planning application (23/00253/COU).

However, this was refused in April, and a subsequent planning application was withdrawn when it became clear that highways issues would make it “likely that it would be refused”.

The applicants said the new proposal demonstrates that it is able to provide a “healthy living environment” and provides “adequate parking”.

They added that their proposal is likely to have a “neutral or nominal” impact on the area’s character and is likely to cause no “detrimental amenity impacts” to neighbouring properties.

The applicant said the property has been occupied as a house in multiple occupation since January 16, 2023.

“We propose that the use of this property has not impacted on the neighbourhood in any adverse way whatsoever,” they said in the design statement.

More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 23/01533/S73A. The overall consultation expiry date is Friday, August 18, 2023.