Southend Council is set to consider granting planning permission for the conversion of a family home in Westcliff into a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), despite objections from local residents who describe the situation as "beyond a joke." The property, located on Brightwell Avenue, currently functions as a family residence but is proposed to be transformed into a multi-bedroom rental property with a total of nine bedrooms.
Planning officers have recommended that the proposal be approved when it is discussed by development control councillors in their meeting scheduled for next Wednesday. The plans include two bedrooms within an existing rear dormer, four bedrooms on the first floor, and three bedrooms on the ground floor. Additional features of the development include a kitchen, dining room, utility room, boiler room, and shared bathroom. There is also a proposed single-storey side extension intended to house the boiler and utility rooms. Furthermore, the plans incorporate a cycle enclosure for nine bicycles and a refuse store.
The proposal benefits from a certificate of lawfulness granted in January 2025 for a six-bedroom HMO on the site. However, residents have voiced several concerns about the impact of converting the property to a larger HMO. The council has received three letters of objection highlighting worries over increased crime and antisocial behaviour, the proliferation of HMOs in the area, potential detrimental effects on the character of Brightwell Avenue, as well as increased noise, traffic, and parking pressures.
Julian Lowes, a Westcliff resident, spoke to the Yellow Advertiser expressing his apprehension, saying: “We’ve objected to one in Manor Road. It is absolutely beyond a joke and local long-term residents in the area are getting very fed up and very scared about it. What happens is, you get by the very nature of them, you get people that perhaps have some issues. We get them congregating outside a little hotel near where we live. They all come together and sit outside drinking and smoking.”
Mr Lowes further described problems resulting from transient occupants, noting: “When they move on you end up with all their bedding and everything else dumped on the street outside. We have that all the time. It’s the residents who suffer the problems. Residents are getting fed up with the density but no one gives a damn.”
Despite these objections, the planning officer’s report concluded that the proposal complies with relevant planning policies and guidelines. The report states: “The proposal is found to be acceptable and compliant with the relevant planning policies and guidance. As there are no other material planning considerations which would justify reaching a different conclusion it is recommended that planning permission is granted subject to conditions.”
The final decision on the application will rest with the council’s development control councillors when they meet next Wednesday to vote on the plans.
Source: Noah Wire Services