Plans to create a new house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Chadderton have been rejected, with a councillor warning the scheme could be 'a recipe for disaster'. Questions were raised about how many Fiat 500s would fit in the parking space promised as part of the development.
Application details and objections
An application was put forward by Footlong (UK) Ltd for a new HMO on Haigh Lane. Oldham town hall officers recommended it be rejected. The plans faced objections from 127 people, as well as from Labour councillor Barbara Brownridge and Reform's Rob Jackson.
Concerns were raised about the impact on locals and an increase in cars. The area was described by one objector as a 'well-established, quiet, family-orientated neighbourhood'.
Parking concerns raised
An officer report said no information had been given about the plan's impact on the environment. A HMO was acceptable under planning rules as there was not an over-concentration in the area and the scheme was acceptable in size, officers said. However, the loss of 25 sq m of habitat and the lack of any assessment of the environmental impact meant the application should be refused, they added.
The meeting heard discussion about the number of cars that could park on the site. Councillor Lewis Quigg said a space on the site for parking would only fit three cars at best and a narrow access lane wouldn't work. He added: 'It's got a recipe for disaster written all over it as far as I can see.' Referring to the garage on site, he said: 'You can just about fit two Fiat 500s in that garage and that is at a push. You've got to be a bloody athlete to get out of there.' Officers said the plans did include an expansion of the parking area.
Other planning decisions
At the same meeting, councillors rejected another HMO application and narrowly approved a City Shape planning application to build 28 homes off Oldham Road near Brookdale and Ridgefield Street. The site has been empty for a number of years while a number of other homes have been built in the area which is 'fast transforming from commercial to residential'.
The area is currently covered by a mix of gravel and plants and 'has been used as ad-hoc, unsanctioned parking with cars riding the kerb'. A design and access statement for the application said the plans 'will provide high quality homes and meet an identified need within this Failsworth area' with 'good amenities and public transport links'.
Concerns had been raised by three people that the 14 car-free homes included in the development will 'displace parking onto surrounding streets and increase congestion'. Councillors also raised concerns about existing businesses in the area. Officers also said an unofficial and unauthorised use of the site for car parking could not be used as a reason to refuse the planning application. They also warned the threshold to refuse applications on highways issues is very high.
Chris Twist, speaking on behalf of City Shape, said their plans would 'feel part of Failsworth and makes a positive contribution to the area'. He said they invested part of their profits as a company into supporting causes like helping the homeless. He told councillors: 'We have invested considerable time, resources, and costs assessing whether this development site can realistically be developed. A scheme of 28 houses can look fairly straightforward on paper but trust me it isn't.'
