New Forest District Council: Matt Annen is pleased to have secured planning consent for internal re-configuration and change of use from 2 flats (Use Class C3) into a 9-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (Sui Generis), together with associated bin and cycle storage. The scheme was designed by Luso Architecture. The application was referred to Planning Committee following a contrary view from New Milton Town Council. Following a deputation from our Director, Matt Annen, Members resolved to support the officer’s recommendation and grant planning permission by 7 votes to 2.
The site and the scheme
Hatch Farm is a handsome former farmhouse within the Old Milton Conservation Area, tucked behind the commercial frontage of Christchurch Road and opposite a Grade II listed St Mary Magdalene’s Church. Last used as two flats, the building was significantly under-using an attractive and characterful asset.
The approved scheme reconfigures the interior to provide nine en-suite bedrooms arranged around a generous communal kitchen and living space at ground floor level, with new bin and cycle stores discreetly positioned within the site. Crucially, no external alterations to the building were proposed — this is the reuse of an existing building rather than new build development.
Why the case succeeded:
A sustainable location. The site sits within the built-up area of New Milton, where Policy STR4 of the Local Plan confirms residential development is appropriate. It is a few minutes’ walk or cycle from the town centre, railway station, shops, services, leisure facilities and bus routes — precisely the kind of accessible location the NPPF directs housing towards.
A pressing housing land supply shortfall. The Council’s latest published housing land supply figure stands at just 1.53 years. Paragraph 11(d) of the NPPF is therefore engaged, and the officer’s report confirmed that making effective use of land and delivering additional accommodation carried real weight in the planning balance.
Meeting local housing needs. Policy STR5 recognises that small developments such as this help meet low-cost housing needs for local people, while Policy NM2 of the New Milton Neighbourhood Plan supports housing for first-time buyers and those looking to rent their first home. The officer concluded the scheme complies with that policy and would help support the needs of younger people the town is committed to retaining.
A robust fallback position. Under Part 3, Class L of the GPDO, each of the two existing flats could lawfully be converted to a small HMO for up to six occupants without any planning permission. That fallback was a material consideration and meant the principle of HMO accommodation here was difficult to resist.
Heritage and amenity. The officer concluded the proposal would preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, in accordance with Policies ENV3 and DM1 and Chapter 16 of the NPPF, and that residential amenity would not be harmed — the site has no directly adjoining residential neighbours and is already in residential use.
Highways. Hampshire County Council as Highway Authority raised no objection. The report noted that Milton ward has the highest proportion of car-free households anywhere in the District (27%), that the site already has an established parking shortfall, and that cycle storage would encourage sustainable travel.
Helping people get onto the housing ladder
Well-designed, professionally managed shared accommodation plays an important and often under-appreciated role in the housing market. For younger people, key workers and those saving towards a first home, quality rooms in accessible locations are frequently the stepping stone that makes staying in the area possible at all. This scheme delivers nine of them in a walkable location, without a brick of the historic fabric being altered.
Thinking about an HMO conversion?
Pure Town Planning has extensive experience of securing consent for HMO and change of use schemes across Dorset and Hampshire, including at Planning Committee. If you own a property that could work harder for you, we would be pleased to hear from you.