A plan to turn a two-bed house into a five-bed HMO attracted criticism from a councillor in Breightmet.

The applicant, Parata Property, applied for planning permission for the site on Burnmoor Road last week.

The plan is to turn a two-bed house into a five-bed HMO, as well as to transform the garage into a separate, standalone property for another person.

Sean Fielding, a councillor for the area, said the application for planning permission was "a slap in the face" for the reason it was once a council house.

ALSO READ: Bolton Council approves cutbacks to Moor Lane development.

Cllr Fielding said: "This application on Burnmoor Road is the latest in the growing number of family homes in the area the developers are seeking to convert to HMOs. 

"It is a slap in the face given it was a council house, and so it's gone from once being an affordable home for a local family, built with taxpayers' money, to being in the hands of developers who are trying to wring out as much profit as they can by cramming as many people as possible into it.

"The application meets the minimum standards of having bedrooms which are more than 6.5 square metres in size, but what kind of standards are these and what kind of quality of life would somebody living in such a tiny space really have? 

"The policy which allows these conversions of family homes, of which there is a shortage, to pokey little rooms is clearly broken and needs government intervention to impose more regulations, although given it was the Conservative Government which relaxed the regulations in the first place, I won't be holding my breath.

ALSO READ: Plan for battery system blocked amid concern in Westhoughton.

"I've objected to this application. I hope the council will be able to find sufficient justification to refuse it."

A consultation is open on the Bolton Council planning portal and the deadline for a decision by the authorities is on March 26.

It could be called in for consideration by the Bolton Council planning committee but this is not confirmed at the time of writing.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.