Mixed bag for residents fighting against 'tsunami' of shared homes in Portsmouth as three applications have different outcomes

IT WAS a mixed result for city residents fighting against a 'tsunami' of shared homes as councillors approved plans for one, rejected another and deferred a third last week.
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During a mammoth Portsmouth City Council planning committee meeting on Wednesday proposals for the expansion of three houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) were considered.

All three applications - for 42 Festing Grove in Southsea, 69 Wadham Road in North End and 32 Montgomerie Road in Somers Town - would have seen the existing HMOs extended to create seven bedrooms.

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Wadham Road, North End, where residents have been campaigning against more HMOs. Picture: Chris MoorhouseWadham Road, North End, where residents have been campaigning against more HMOs. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Wadham Road, North End, where residents have been campaigning against more HMOs. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
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Concerns were first raised about the concentration of HMOs in Festing Grove and whether council data, which showed four out of 61 homes within 50 metres of number 42, was accurate.

Councillor Matthew Winnington attended the meeting to make an objection. He said: 'Here we are again in Festing Grove and another HMO.

'Myself and Cllr Luke Stubbs have been down this road many times and we had these arguments about two years ago with another HMO down the road.

'I'm afraid colleagues I have no faith in the way HMOs are assessed in this area.

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'How many times does it have to happen? An extra room does have an impact on amenity.'

Councillors agreed to defer the application to conduct a thorough check on HMOs in the road.

However, they then approved plans for 69 Wadham Road on the basis there was not a high level of shared homes in the area.

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: 'This is not an area of big concentration of HMOs. I don't believe we can grant refusal.'

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But residents were met with victory when plans for 32 Montgomerie Road were rejected.

In the 50 metres surrounding the property 35.4 per cent of homes are HMOs - higher than the council's 10 per cent policy.

Chairman of the East St Thomas Residents' Forum, Martin Willoughby, attended to object.

He said: 'We call it an ongoing tsunami of HMOs because of the dramatic impact of such a high concentration of large HMOs.'

Councillors ultimately ruled against the plans due to the 'shortfall' in the size of one bedroom and the communal room.

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