St Helens HMO approved to increase capacity to eight

St Helens Council granted planning permission for the changes at 210 Robins Lane, on the corner of Garnet Street, on September 25.

Approval has been granted to extend the HMO at 210 Robins Lane (Image: Google)

The property is already used as a house in multiple occupation (HMO), after permission was granted in 2021 for it to accommodate six people.

The latest application allows the building to be converted into an eight-person HMO, with a front dormer extension and rooflights.

According to the council's planning report, the proposed layout includes eight bedrooms across the ground, first and attic floors, alongside shared kitchen and lounge facilities, a utility room, shower rooms and toilets.

All eight bedrooms would provide more than 10 square metres of internal space, while the shared kitchen would measure 17 square metres and the lounge 15.2 square metres.

The council's highways adviser initially raised concerns about the level of bicycle parking but later withdrew its objection after revised plans provided six bicycle spaces.

The report also noted that the property would have no car parking spaces, despite council guidance indicating that an eight-person HMO should provide four.

However, the highways adviser concluded that the shortfall was unlikely to compromise highway safety or create a severe cumulative impact, given the property's location close to bus stops and around a 10-minute walk from St Helens Junction railway station.

The council's noise officer also raised no objection, saying the increase from six to eight occupants represented a relatively modest intensification of the property's existing residential use.

The permission allows the development to proceed subject to conditions, including that external finishes must match or closely harmonise with the existing building.