St Helens house approved for four-person HMO conversion

St Helens Council has granted a Certificate of Lawfulness for the proposed conversion of 50 Junction Lane, confirming the change from a dwellinghouse to a four-bedroom HMO would be permitted development.

The decision was made on November 2, following an application submitted by Callum Field on October 2.

The property is a two-bedroom, two-storey terraced house in an established residential area.

Under the proposed layout, the ground-floor lounge would be converted into a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, while the existing kitchen and dining room would be combined to create an open-plan communal area.

The three rooms upstairs would also become bedrooms, each with its own en-suite.

The council's planning officer said the proposed four-person HMO fell within the relevant permitted development rules and did not require planning permission.

The report noted that the property was not within an area covered by an Article 4 Direction, which can remove permitted development rights for certain changes of use.

No neighbour consultation was carried out as part of the application, with the council explaining that this was not required for a Certificate of Lawfulness because the decision concerned whether the proposal was lawful rather than whether planning permission should be granted.

The decision comes after the council refused a separate application to turn a former barber shop at 63 and 63A Junction Lane - opposite number 50 - into a six-person HMO on October 29.

That proposal was rejected over concerns that it would add to an existing concentration of shared housing in the area and create an unacceptable living environment for future occupants.

The council said the refused scheme would result in more than 10 per cent of housing within a 50-metre radius being HMOs, while also raising concerns about the impact on neighbouring properties.

However, the two applications were assessed under different planning circumstances.

In the case of number 50, the council said the proposed conversion qualified as permitted development under the rules in force when the application was made.

The decision notice also highlighted that the authority is consulting on a proposed borough-wide Article 4 Direction, which would remove the permitted development rights currently allowing certain homes to be converted into smaller HMOs.

The direction is proposed to come into force on December 1.

The council warned that if the proposed use at number 50 has not been implemented before then, planning permission will be required.

The certificate applies to the proposal as described in the application and allows for a maximum of four residents.