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Concern has been shown over plans proposed to turn a six-bedroom house in Tranmere into a 22-person HMO.
The plans, filed recently, would turn the property at 32 Westbank Road into a multi-occupation house of up to six families. Each of the six rooms would be occupied by one family, and no unrelated people would share one. Five of the six rooms would accommodate four people, while the sixth room would house only two. Occupants would also share a single kitchen, but have their own bathroom.
Katie Howie, who is an occupant of the street, signed a petition against the HMO. According to Birkenhead News, she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "When we moved here we didn't expect HMOs. It could just be a family home."
Ms Howie also raised concerns about the potential impact on house prices and questioned whether the location is suitable for a large HMO. "This is a nice road with nice families," she said.
Neighbour Gaynor Parry said: "I can't imagine four people living in one room." Ms Parry also questioned how so many people could share one kitchen, adding: "It's like we're going back to 'the courts'." For context, court housing was common in Liverpool during the 18th and 19th centuries; these were overpopulated housing that were built in small, cramped spaces behind street-front houses and shops and faced onto courtyards.
Parking has emerged as another flashpoint, with just three spaces available on the street outside the property. Residents believe this is unlikely to be enough for six families with a total of 22 people.
A Prenton councillor, Naomi Graham, has serious concerns about the plans. "The living conditions for possible future residents are my overriding concern," the Green Party councillor said. She also raised concerns about insufficient parking and cycle storage.
Fellow Green councillor Pat Cleary, who represents the neighbouring Birkenhead and Tranmere ward, allegedly described it as "a terrible application with terrible conditions" and added: "I fully expect this to be thrown out by officers." However, Mr Cleary also added that the application is a result of the current state of housing locally and regionally and said more social and affordable housing is needed to rectify the issue.
The application itself claims the plans would create "high-quality residential accommodation" with "generous" room sizes. It states each room could "comfortably accommodate more than four occupants," but the limit has been set at four. The lack of parking is justified by the site's proximity to public transport, with the plans stating: "Two train stations are situated within walking distance of the site, and the property is positioned on established bus routes serving destinations across Wirral and into Liverpool city centre."
The application also claims the planned cycle storage for six bikes is "considered appropriate for the scale and location of the development". No decision has been made on the plan yet.
