PLANS to convert an Ashton-under-Lyne home into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) have been unanimously thrown out – as the owner is ‘sticking two fingers up at Tameside Council.’
Sourcing Partners applied to the authority to make the Arundel Street property into one which will house three people.
But a meeting of its Speaker’s Panel (Planning) committee on Wednesday, September 9, heard an application to house five people had previously been turned down, yet was told it is occupied by that number anyway.
And despite a recommendation for approval by officers, the dimmest of views of the approach of its Hong Kong-based owner was taken by the 14 members.
Objectors Rebecca Stone and Kieran Short told the panel how the property has been occupied since December 12 and how it has no privacy, with one occupant was regularly seen naked at his window.
Mr Short said: “This is not a sustainable solution. A sustainable solution is a family of three women moving in there, not transient individuals concentrated in transit.
“We have empathy with the individuals living there, no-one wants to live there and that speaks volumes.
“Any chance you could give them curtains? They don’t have curtains, they have office blinds. The individual in the front room, we see him regularly naked.
“There is no privacy for these individuals. These individuals don’t have cars – their care workers do, they’re social worker does, the district nurse who comes and parks outside and leaves her engine running for 10 minutes while she talks on her pone does. That’s just for one individual.
“It’s a family house, simple as that.
“Frustratingly, this has been going on for nine months. There are already five people living there, when you’ve refused the application.
“It’s already been converted. It feels like the owner’s come in, stuck two fingers up to the community and said, ‘I’m going to do this, you can all work out.’
“I’ve lived in an HMO prior to this, a four-storey, ex-Victorian house, with five bedrooms, there was room for that.
“There’s one at the bottom has been finished to an unbelievable standard – I’d live there given how well it looks.
“This is not, it feels like pure greed. It’s a foreign investor, the individuals that are living there, I believe, aren’t in employment, therefore, it’s UK taxpayers’ money going straight out to a foreign investor in Hong Kong.”
The hearing was told work started shortly before the article four edict on HMO’s – meaning they all require planning permission – was brought in.
But the fact people are living there after an application was refused incensed panel members, who also hit out at officers’ assertion there were no HMOs nearby, when the measurement used was only a 50-metre radius.
Cllr Vincent Ricci fumed after Ralph Taylor, the agent for the applicant, conceded the owner should have been there: “If the owner’s going along with the planning officers say and it was refused, why are there five people living there now as an HMO?
“it’s been refused twice. You want is to approve this application when the person you’re working for has total disregard for Tameside Council planning. He’s said, I’ don’t care if it’s been refused then, I don’t care if it’s been refused a second time, I’m going to carry on doing what I’m doing.’
“My concern is that I’ve no confidence that if this is approved as three-bed HMO, the applicant would adhere to the rules.
“He’s had the audacity not to turn up and apply for a three-bed HMO knowing he’s got five people in there and getting five pieces of rent.
“If he gets permission, he’s going to go away and do what he’s done for the past 12 months – stick two fingers up at Tameside Council.
“It seems like you’ve been thrown to the wolves, young man.”
Cllr Raymond Dunning added: *It’s disregard to the local residents, it’s all about profit,” while Reform UK colleague Cllr Jake Frater commented: “The fact that the owner’s not come here is not only a blatant disregard of the rules, but it’s a blatant disrespect of Tameside Council members and the residents.”
Cllr Allan Hopwood commented to Mr Taylor: “Your client is ultimately in this for financial gain. There’s a financial thing behind it which is, for my part, obscene.
“We all need to start giving our head a wobble and think, ‘Let’s do the right thing by the community and stop investors from foreign countries coming into this country and buying properties up and just using them for their own gains, because that’s what’s happening here.”
Tameside Council’s planning officers were grilled over how this issue had been going on since December, with Cllr Doreen Dickinson describing it as ‘quite disturbing.’
They claimed that although the property was already being converted, it was no ‘expedient’ to take enforcement action because of the time frame and it is being monitored.
But Cllr Frater told them: “In terms of council standards, we really need to look at that because this is an isolated issue this all over Tameside.
“Whatever metrics we’re currently using, we need to change them because, quite frankly, they’re not good enough and absolutely shocking.”
The property’s link with housing provider Ready4Home, which is linked to an organisation called Ready4Resettlement, also raised concerns.
Cllr Frater commented: “Why is it that this is being made out as if this is helping local people?
“You recommended an approval when it’s not for local people at all.
“We need to start looking at that as a council. We’ve got people that are on waiting lists for many years – I’m currently helping someone who’s been told eight years.
“This is not acceptable and to be recommending approval of this, I think we need to have a look at ourselves as a council.”