Farnworth: Bolton Council votes on controversial HMO plan

The plans for the terraced house on Lower Rawson Street in Farnworth drew complaints from neighbours who were concerned about the impact on parking, facilities and anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Nadeem Ayub, who represents the area, brought the idea before Bolton Council’s planning committee and has expressed his relief at the decision to put a halt to the plans.

He said: "I am delighted that this planning application has been refused. Quite clearly it was not right for the area and I had objected to it and supported local residents with their concerns against the proposal.

"The planning committee has correctly found that a seven bedroomed property into a single end terraced house would mean no amenity space for occupiers both inside and outside, lack of bin storage, potential disturbance to neighbour.

"We shall wait and see if the applicant comes up with another proposal”.

“The residents who were in attendance in large numbers to support the objection were pleased with the outcome and can now put their mind at ease.”

The plan would have seen the house converted into a seven bedroom HMO (Image: Bolton Council)

He added: “But now the objectors in the chamber are delighted as well and we hope to maintain good standards and a good standard of housing in the area going forward.”

Cllr Ayub told the committee he was deeply concerned about yet another HMO being sited in what is already one of the borough’s most congested areas and that he was concerned about the quality of housing.

He also said that people in the area had repeatedly raised worries about an increase in noise and disturbances with him as well as recurring concerns about how it could lead to more anti-social behaviour and crime.

The house is on Lower Rawson Street, Farnworth (Image: Google Maps)

Resident Nick Atherton also addressed the councillors and told them that the area was already struggling with parking and were concerned about the ‘overdevelopment of what should be a family home.”

Before the vote was taken, the council had already received 17 letters of objection from Farnworth residents who had raised many similar concerns, including about the potential loss of privacy in an increasingly overcrowded area.

Many of the committee members, including Conservative Cllr Andy Morgan, Labour group leader Cllr Nick Peel and One Kearsley’s Cllr Debbie Newall also spoke out against the proposal, citing concerns about congestion and small living spaces.

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Cllr Morgan said: “It really is just a completely inappropriate development and I support refusal.”

Although concerns about anti-social behaviour is not considered a ‘material’ reason for refusal, Cllr Newall said she believed it was legitimate for committee members to keep concerns like these in mind when developments were being considered.

On being put to a vote, the committee decided unanimously to refuse the plan to cheers from observers in the public gallery.