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Plan to convert Stockton house into eight-bedroom home for students
Plans are being considered to convert a property into an eight-bedroom house of multiple occupation aimed at students.
A developer identified as London-based Andrew Cousins Property Solutions has asked for planning permission to change a vacant house of multiple occupation with four apartments to an eight-bedroom house on Shaftesbury Street, Stockton.
In a supporting statement, the applicant says: “Each single room will have locked doors and a communal lounge and kitchen. With regards waste there will be a large commercial bin for rubbish and recycling. Each room will have a key to the locked rubbish area location to avoid waste being scattered etc.
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“The tenants will be found and vetted through choice-based lettings and they are aiming for students for Stockton Riverside College and Durham University Queen’s Campus. This property will be managed by a company based in Hartlepool and are starting to manage a few properties now in the area.
“We will maintain the correct vetting process, referencing process and constant checks on the property. The property will also be professionally cleaned once a week to maintain high-quality standards.”
Ged McBride, for Cleveland Police, said in his response to the plan: “It is my experience that (with) HMOs, particularly where there are other similar properties in the locality, crime and anti-social behaviour is likely to increase. I’m concerned that this change of use could result in further crime and anti-social behaviour in the locality.”
He stressed the importance of good security for such properties and recommended a robust access control system with an “air lock”-type setup and vision panel, as well as door chains and viewers, secure mail delivery, good lighting and standards for windows and doors.
Then-Councillor Louise Baldock responded, saying in a letter she had some questions and concerns as the plan was “very light on details”. She asked if it would be single bedrooms or studio flats, and about plans for waste disposal: “We can’t have any more residents throwing waste from upstairs fire escapes over into the back street as has happened before.”
She also asked about how tenants would be found, whether they would have support needs, whether there would be a live-in manager, and the business’s experience of managing HMOs.
She added: “You will know that we have a surfeit of hostels and supported living in this area and our plan as councillors is to seek to reduce that where possible. If this is designed to be regular one bedroom accommodation for general use then that would sit more comfortably.”
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