Plans to convert a Wembley property into a nine-room house in multiple occupation (HMO) to accommodate 16 people are among a number of applications submitted to Brent Council this month.
The North London borough has received five applications for HMOs in the past few weeks which are waiting to be decided on amid calls to pause all HMO approvals locally.
With HMOs in the private rental sector increasingly being used to address a shortfall in social housing, many London councils are looking to introduce tougher rules to drive up standards and make them safer, as well as controlling how many family-sized homes are lost.
Brent Council has implemented a new licensing scheme for smaller HMOs with fewer than five tenants – to go alongside the existing requirement for all larger HMO landlords to be licensed. This was due to evidence that a significant number of this type of housing are “still substandard and potentially dangerous”, according to the local authority.
The rapid growth of HMOs across the capital is unpopular with many local residents, with concerns that their influx leads to reduced numbers of family-sized homes, increased antisocial behaviour, and imbalanced communities.
The issue has also been prominent in Harrow. Earlier this week, Harrow Online reported that Harrow Council had refused two separate plans to convert family homes into HMOs, including a proposed seven-bedroom HMO in Kenton and a six-person HMO in central Harrow.
Among the latest applications submitted to Brent Council are three properties in Wembley and one in Edgware.
27 Uxendon Crescent, Wembley – To be decided
Plans to convert a three-storey semi-detached house in Wembley into a nine-bedroom, 16-person HMO have been submitted to the council’s planning department. The rooms would be spread over ground, first and loft floors, with a private garden to the rear of the property.
All but one of the proposed nine bedrooms would exceed the 12.5sqm minimum requirement set out in the guidelines, with six having en-suites and three sharing an additional bathroom. Plans appear to show that it would also meet the required 20sqm of communal space for an HMO of this size.
The three kitchens, living, and dining areas appear to meet Brent Council’s expectations for an HMO of this size and the property also benefits from a rear garden.
55 Chalkhill Road, Wembley – To be decided
An application has been made to convert a three-storey terraced property, also in Wembley, into a six-bedroom, six-person HMO. The plans include a single-storey rear extension.
The property already comprises a five-bedroom HMO, with the rear extension enabling the addition of a sixth room. If approved, there would be one bedroom on the ground floor, two on the first floor, and the remaining three on the second floor.
All bedrooms would have an en-suite, except one of the second floor bedrooms, which would have a shared shower room and WC.
A 44sqm communal kitchen, living, and dining room would be found on the ground floor and all tenants would have access to a sizable rear garden.
The application states: “[the proposal] would provide good quality shared accommodation in a highly accessible and sustainable location, without harm to the character of the area or the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers.”
342 Preston Road, Wembley – To be decided
Plans to convert another Wembley home into an HMO have been submitted, with the applicant aiming to convert a semi-detached property into a six-bed, nine-person HMO.
The bedrooms would be spread across three storeys, with one on the ground floor, three on the first floor, and the remaining two on the second floor.
The plans appear to show that the property would have one bathroom, a shower room, and a separate WC. A kitchen, dining room, and outdoor patio can be found on the ground floor.
All the bedrooms exceed the minimum requirement for an HMO and the communal space available appears to exceed the minimum requirement for the number of proposed tenants.
193 Beverley Drive, Edgware – To be decided
Plans have been submitted to convert a three-storey semi-detached house in Edgware into a seven-bed, ten-person HMO.
The plans include the demolition of an existing side garage, alongside a proposed two-storey side extension and part first floor rear extension and front porch.
A previous HMO application had been refused, in part due to “deficiencies” in the quality and amount of communal space being offered. This has now been rectified and the shared space exceeds the required amount.
The applicant states: “Those deficiencies have now been addressed through revised plans and supporting technical reports. As the proposal now demonstrably satisfies each criterion […] there is no remaining policy basis on which the previous refusal can reasonably be maintained.”
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Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
