Controversial Donnington HMO plans withdrawn after parking concerns raised
Plans to turn a semi-detached house in Donnington into a 10-bed house of multiple occupancy (HMO) have been withdrawn after concerns were raised by the local authority.
The plans to convert a semi-detached six-bed house on Wellington Road in Donnington into a 10-bed HMO have been paused after concerns were raised by neighbours and the council's highways department.
The proposal, lodged by Market Drayton-based EMS Design Ltd on behalf of applicant Akash Desai, argued the development was "sustainable and policy-compliant" and would "ensure preservation of the building’s heritage".
But the plans were met with backlash from neighbours, several of whom raised several concerns over the scale of the development and the lack of parking.
A comment from the applicant attempted to reassure objectors, stating that the property would be rented "primarily to students and working professionals", that there were good public transport links and that no parking would be provided as part of the contract.
Mr Desai added: "We will be letting to vetted tenants only (students and professionals), with strict tenancy agreements in place to discourage anti-social behaviour. Should any issues arise, we will deal with them swiftly and responsibly to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all.
"As part of the renovation, we will install soundproofing measures such as noise-reducing windows and doors. In addition, tenancy agreements will include clear clauses about respecting neighbours, keeping noise to a minimum, and maintaining peace in the community."
But the plans also raised an objection from the local highway authority (LHA), which said the application did not meet the required number of parking spaces necessary for approval.
"The LHA apply 0.5 parking spaces per bedroom when assessing HMO applications, which would equate to five parking spaces necessary for the above proposals. There are only three parking spaces being proposed currently, a shortfall of two spaces.
"The LHA feel that the current proposals are an overdevelopment of the site which would likely lead to parking overspilling into the turning areas and access corridor within ‘The Willows’, which then has the potential to lead to congestion and unsafe manoeuvres on the adopted highway in the vicinity of the site, negatively impacting the safe operation of the highway network."
Following the objections, the application was withdrawn. An email from the agent to planning officers stated there was "a lot of stuff to do" and withdrawing would give them time "to work through this".
The email continued: "I am confident that we can provide a scheme that is acceptable to all. I will submit a new plan shortly."
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