Agenda item

Chatham Central and Brompton Ward

Change of use from a single dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to a 5-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4), including associated internal alterations and the construction of a single storey extension.

 Discussion:

The Senior Planner outlined the application in detail for the change of use from a single dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to a 5-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) (Use Class C4), including associated internal alterations and the construction of a single storey extension.

The Senior Planner confirmed that, within a 500-metre radius, there were 32 HMOs.

With the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Maple addressed the Committee as Ward Councillor and raised the following concerns:

• For clarification, the application would have been referred to the Planning Committee due to the number of representations, irrespective of the Article 4 Direction.
• There were already high numbers of HMOs within the locality.
• Local residents and representatives of the New Road Parents Community had raised concerns regarding additional traffic and parking pressures.
• The site was located between two schools in an area where parking was already constrained, and part of Salisbury Road was subject to a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).
• Reference was made to proposed investigative works by Highway Officers, which were due to commence at the start of the next academic year, to assess traffic levels during peak periods.  
• The Ward Councillor requested that this planning application be refused due to the significant impact on the local community through increased traffic and parking demand. However, he added that, should Members be minded to approve the application, could the determination be deferred until the planned highways investigations had been completed and the findings made available to Members.

Members discussed the planning application in detail and expressed concerns regarding highway safety, existing parking pressures, the potential increase in traffic movement and the loss of a family dwelling.  

The Senior Planner confirmed that Condition 7, required a Parking Management Plan to be submitted, prior to first occupation of the development. The plan would set out how parking would be managed for residents and visitors and would include measures to minimise parking impacts on the surrounding area. 

The Chief Planning Officer reminded Members that the Article 4 Direction did not state that HMOs were unacceptable. Rather, it removed the permitted development rights for the change of use from Class C3 (dwellinghouse) to a Class 4 (small HMO), therefore, requiring planning permission.

The Committee then voted on the officers’ recommendation to approve the planning application, which was lost. Members subsequently considered whether it would be appropriate to defer the determination of the planning application pending the proposed highways investigations, or whether the application should be refused. 

Decision:      

REFUSED on the following grounds:

1               The proposed use as a 6 person House in Multiple Occupation would generate a greater level of parking demand than the existing three bedroom dwelling and in the absence of any parking provision would result in increased parking pressure and indiscriminate parking in an area of parking stress in close proximity to parking restrictions and a primary school, which would interfere with pedestrian use of the footpaths and cause highway hazards contrary to policies H7, T1 and T13 of the Medway Local Plan (2003), T8 of the Regulation 22 Medway Local Plan 2041 (December 2025) and paragraph 115 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).

2               The proposed change of use from a C3 dwelling to a C4 House in Multiple Occupation would result in the loss of a family dwelling that would reasonably be expected to be occupied by a single household contrary to Policy H7 of the Medway Local Plan (2003) and T8 of the Regulation 22 Medway Local Plan 2041 (December 2025).