Plans to turn pub into home for 17 people
SURGE IN HUMBER OF CITY HMOS
FORMER city centre pub and a prominent office block are the latest properties in Hull to be flagged for conversion into multioccupancy homes.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOS) are properties rented out to three or more unrelated people. House shares – typically with separate bedrooms but a communal kitchen and bathroom – are an increasingly commonplace housing option for people on lower incomes and students.
A surge in their number in Hull has become a key issue for planning councillors when they debate applications for changes to former family homes. In 2013, tighter rules surrounding HMO approvals were introduced in some neighbourhoods.
The latest HMO applications submitted to Hull City Council include plans to turn what was the Yorkshireman pub in Lombard Street into a 17-bedroom complex. The pub closed around six years ago having once been a popular local for staff at the nearby former Hull Corporation bus depot.
After the depot was demolished to make way for the St Stephen’s development, the pub became part of city centre’s circuit of gay bars. The building still retains a couple of original 1930s Moors & Robson Brewery logos incorporated within two first-floor wrought-iron balconies.
The new planning application argued the only way to preserve the “historic fabric” of the character property was to turn it into an HMO. It also claimed there was a “steady decline” in nightlife in that part of the city-centre and proposed housing was the sensible option to ensure the former pub’s “long-term future”.
It read: “The night-time economy in Hull has shifted geographically, which caused the steady decline of the previous use, but city centre living is now more popular and the owners of the building are seeking permission to provide a high-quality development.
Any other use may require changes that may harm the historic fabric of this building, but the proposed use allows for the retention of the front elevation.
“The existing signage will remain in situ at the front which will allow for the previous use to be recognised. It is considered that residential development would be the most appropriate use for this building and would guarantee its long-term future.”
The application claimed rooms within the property will meet the required internal space for developments of this kind under the city council’s own planning policies. No car parking is proposed because of its city centre location.
The second scheme features proposals to convert a former insurance company’s offices on Beverley Road into a 28-bedroom house of multiple occupation. The plans also include the conversion of a detached building to the rear in College Street to create a further two bedrooms.
The Victorian-era property lies at the southern end of Beverley Road and stands next to the offices of the Hull and Humber Chama
ber of Commerce. Previously occupied by Insurance Partnership Financial Services, it is currently being advertised for sale with suggested offers in the region of £525,000.
A design and access statement included in the application says: “The proposed accommodation is to be aimed at professional people working either on a temporary or permanent basis in the city, and will provide high-quality accommodation. Each room would benefit from an en-suite bathroom, and there would also be communal bathrooms and laundry rooms. “
Two separate communal lounge kitchens would be provided within the new-look development while the property in College Street would have its own kitchen. The plans include parking spaces for ten vehicles and a secure bike store for residents who will be cycling to work.