Congestion fears over home plan for village
BID TO CONVERT IT INTO HOUSE OF MULTIPLE OCCUPATION
PLANS to convert a village home into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) have sparked concern.
The proposal is the latest for the area. Submitted by Daniel Roberts, the plan would see his current property, 72 Huffer Road, in Kegworth, converted from a private house into an HMO.
Mr Roberts would continue to live on-site with three lodgers then brought in to make it an HMO for four occupants.
Mr Roberts says the plan is “small” in scale, with no alterations being made to the property itself. However, some concerns have been raised about the HMO’s impact on Huffer Road’s access.
Planning documents submitted to North West Leicestershire District Council confirm Mr Roberts’ proposal to change the use of the four-bedroomed private home into a four-bed HMO.
The house has a shared kitchen/ diner area as well as a living room, while a downstairs toilet is also provided.
One of the second floor’s four bedrooms has an en suite installed, while the remaining three will share an existing bathroom.
The HMO also comes with three offroad parking spaces courtesy of its driveway and garage. However, some residents fear these parking spaces could soon spill out into Huffer Road itself.
One resident said: “Once vehicles start parking on the actual street, access to the driveways becomes restricted.
“The house in question could have in excess of four vehicles parked if the planning is granted. This will not only cause congestion but severely restrict access to other residents and the emergency services.”
However, Mr Roberts denied his plan would affect traffic and congestion, saying his HMO lodgers will “generally travel together” in one car to limit any problems, while public transport and personal bikes could also be used by his future lodgers.
He also claimed that multiple vehicle movements in a day from the house are “not anticipated”.
If approved, it would become the latest HMO for Kegworth, with recent applications approved in Heafield Drive, Station Road and Wyvelle Crescent despite multiple concerns raised in each application.
Huffer Road’s HMO plan will be decided by the council at a later date.