Fresh plans to extend an HMO in St John’s have been unveiled - less than a year after a similar proposal was refused.
Big Fish Property have put forward plans to build a two-storey extension at the front, side and back of the property in Windsor Avenue.
According to planning documents, the proposal would add a further two bedrooms to the existing four-bedroom HMO.
A similar plan was refused in July last year with city planners saying it would be too big.
St John’s councillors Richard Udall and Robyn Norfolk both objected to the application, saying the extension would not fit in with the rest of the street.
The developer says “significant changes” have been made since.
“The proposed extension will be modest in size, height and massing to address the important ‘terracing’ effect and maintain the visual gap between the neighbouring property,” the planning statement says.
“The proposal will ensure appropriate living conditions for its future occupants and will have minimal impact on the surrounding properties.”
But neighbours still have concerns over the revised plan.
Peter Derbyshire said: “The noise, poor parking and general attitude and behaviour of a majority of the residents of HMOs is poor.
“This property was the subject of a recent application for the same reason. It is ridiculous that another application is being considered.”
Danny Yeomans said: “I don’t wish to see a property being extended in an already crowded area.
“I believe this has previously been rejected in the past. Parking is already an issue and the area is nice and quiet, which I wish for it to remain.”
John Riley said: “There are already a large number of HMOs in the area and I suggest saturation point has been reached in that they are beginning to alter the essential character of the area to the extent that it sometimes feels as if it has become a student village outsourced from the university to this community.
“Occupants of HMOs are by their nature transient and display little commitment to the quality of the environment in terms of littering, bins on the pavement, maintenance of outside spaces etc.”
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