HMO plan for Victorian Ashton arcade

Clarence Arcade in Ashton-under-Lyne. Image by GGC Media

PART OF a prominent Ashton-under-Lyne location will be converted into three separate houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) if planning permission is granted.

And the residents of the site at Clarence Arcade – the end bordered by Stamford Street, Staveleigh Street and Fleet Street – would also have co-working space and a cinema room.

Manchester-based JJRH Commercial Ltd has applied to Tameside Council to convert the vacant office space into seven-bed, six-bed and three-bed HMOs, along with associated residents’ co-working space, a cinema room, bin storage, cycle storage and minor external alterations.

The front part of the ground floor space of Clarence Arcade, built in 1894 as a shopping venue, will be retained as a commercial unit, with the rear housing cycle storage, with space for 16 bikes, and bin storage.

The main entrance to the HMO accommodation will be via the rear doorway – which will have electronic access and CCTV – which leads to a lobby area providing access to the building’s lift and staircase.

The six-bed HMO will be on the first floor, the seven-bed on the second and the three-bed in the attic space.

Clarence Arcade in ashton-under-Lyne, rear of building. Image by GGC Media

And documents supporting the proposal believe it would make a positive impact.

They state: “The scheme will be associated with a series of positive planning benefits including the reuse and conversion of vacant floorspace and the provision of HMO accommodation, which will provide housing for 16 people and will contribute to meeting housing demand in the local area.

“Future residents are likely to be young professionals working within the Greater Manchester area, on lower wages who cannot afford to rent and pay all the bills associated with a one- bed apartment on their own, or who prefer to share with others and live in a high specification property which they could not afford otherwise.

“The scheme largely utilises existing window openings with only minimal external changes proposed to facilitate the conversion.

“Future residents will be provided with a good standard of living accommodation in terms of sizes of bedrooms, communal space and the quality of the fit out.

“A sustainable development that will have economic, social and environmental benefits including the reuse of a vacant building, and provision of housing in a highly sustainable and accessible town centre location.

“The accommodation will be targeted to private residents seeking an affordable housing solution in the local area.

“The accommodation is anticipated to be particularly attractive to NHS workers at the Ashton Primary Care Centre.

“A property manager will be employed and will visit the property regularly, checking on cleaning of the common areas and making sure the bins are being kept tidy.

“A cleaning company will also be appointed to clean communal areas on a weekly basis.”

Tameside Council’s Speaker’s Panel (Planning) committee will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission.