Cosham high street gym to be turned into homes despite businesses' strong objections over parking and bins

The two-storey building currently houses Horizon Health and Fitness Club on the first floor and two ground-floor shops, British Heart Foundation and Cosham Pets.

If approved, the project would provide eight ensuite bedrooms, a communal living space, and a terrace on the first floor, with six more ensuite bedrooms on a new second floor. The ground floor shops will remain.

The rear car park, which has six spaces, would be reallocated to provide one space for the HMO, three for the shop staff, another for a new bike store and the remaining one for commercial waste storage.

Although the HMO would raise the proportion of shared housing in the area above the council’s 10 per cent threshold, planning officers argue the high street’s predominantly commercial nature prevents this from creating an imbalance.

All bedrooms are for single occupancy use, contain en-suite bathrooms and are above the required space standard of 10 sqm.

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The application has received 10 comments from members of the public, all of which oppose the proposal.

One comment, written on behalf of the British Heart Foundation said: “This is a small property and does not seem sufficiently large enough to house 14 residents.

“Access and space on site is extremely limited and there is barely sufficient room at the moment for access, servicing, parking and waste and recycling bins, let alone having to provide such for 14 extra people with their own waste, vehicles (likely), and food or other goods deliveries that will no doubt arise.”

The owner of Cosham Pets also raised concerns, stating: “I strongly object to this as our very small car compound which in my lease I have two parking spaces and the British Heart Foundation next door also have two and we both have Veolia bins.”

Planning officers have recommended approval subject to six conditions, one requires the applicant to submit details for “appropriate waste storage facilities” before the building is occupied.