Oswestry councillor in 'shock' after planners recommend approval for 22-bed HMO in former hotel

Shropshire Council has been considering an application from Jassy Sindhu of Your Property Ventures for the former Smithfield Hotel on Salop Road in Oswestry - a site which has been closed since 2015.

The proposal requests permission to convert the building into a large House of Multiple Occupation (HMO), containing 22 single bedrooms.

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Shropshire Council's planning department has now recommended the scheme is given the green light - with the authority's Northern Planning Committee set to consider the proposal on Tuesday, September 16.

The move comes despite opposition from the town council and more than 700 people adding their names to a petition against the project.

Oswestry Green Party Councillor Duncan Kerr has now spoken of his "shock and concern" at the move. 

Councillor Kerr said: "Given that the council has just refused permission for an eight-person HMO in Cross Street on the grounds of over-intensification I am appalled that they consider what will be the largest HMO in Oswestry by some way to be appropriate. 

"The fact that people are still having to live in bed-sits shows how badly we have failed to build the decent social housing we need."

Councillor Kerr said he would be attending next week's meeting to voice opposition to the proposal.

He said: "Fortunately a few weeks ago I requested that this case be referred to the Northern Area Planning Committee for determination by councillors and I will be attending on Tuesday the 16th to urge the members on that committee to override the officers views and refuse this application.

"I am also urging Oswestry Town Council to get on with preparing a Neighbourhood Plan so we can have more control over HMOs through an Article 4 direction."