BCP Council (Bournemouth area): Dan Wilden is pleased to have recently secured a change of use consent from a Use Class C4 House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) to a larger “Sui Generis” HMO.
Previously Pure Town Planning had established the lawfulness of the Use Class C4 use at the property through obtaining a certificate of lawfulness. But this is a large property with potential for more residents than the six occupants which define the upper size of the Use Class C4. “Sui Generis” simply means a use which is not within one of the defined Use Classes and any change of use from or to such a use will usually require planning permission. That was the case here, even though no alterations were needed to the building to house additional occupants.
This type of application, despite often involving a only a change from six to seven residents, can raise concerns about residential amenity (both impact on neighbours and the adequacy of accommodation for the HMO residents themselves). In this case however, the property and location were both deemed acceptable for such a change and planning permission was granted without concern raised.
If you are looking to regularise your HMO or looking to maximise its potential why not contact Pure Town Planning for an informal and confidential discussion.