Lewisham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Plans to convert a Lewisham family home into a nine-bedroom HMO have been refused, with the council branding the proposal “unacceptable” for the area.
The whole planning application for the property at 7 Romborough Way, which requested permission to convert it from a single-family home to a big house in multiple occupation (HMO) for nine people, was received by Lewisham Council earlier this year.
Currently occupied by a single family, the two-story semi-detached house would have been transformed into nine separate bedrooms, each of which would have complied with the council’s minimum room-size requirements for HMO accommodations.
If it had been authorized, the facility would have had five cycle storage spaces in addition to recycling and trash facilities.
As part of the development, three off-street parking spots were also suggested.
The applicant claimed in supporting documentation that the property was appropriate for multiple occupancy due to its close proximity to Lewisham High Street and high public transport accessibility level (PTAL 5).
They further stated that the house was” lower suitable for family use” due to its position next to an academy and close to busy roadways, asserting that the change of use would not negatively impact the city’s force of family accommodation.
Lewisham Council, on the other hand, vehemently dissented, saying that the plan would beget” inferior detriment” to casing options and the neighborhood’s culture by barring a home fit for family occupation.
In its decision notice, the council said: “The proposed change of use from dwelling house to large house in multiple occupation, by reason of the loss of an existing house suitable for family occupation, would lead to unacceptable harm in terms of reducing the availability of single-family dwellings and detract from the Council’s aim to foster mixed, balanced and sustainable communities.”
Concerns regarding parking and highway safety were also voiced by the council, which claimed that the design would result in risky car movements and might restrict public walkways.
The National Planning Policy Framework (2024), the London Plan (2021), and the Lewisham Local Plan (2025) are only a few of the important planning policies that Lewisham Council determined the development violated.
The council further stated that the designs would not serve its vision for diversified and sustainable communities. As a result, the proposal was rejected on the grounds of both the loss of family housing and insufficient parking provisions.
The applicant has not filed an appeal as of November 13.
How does Lewisham define unacceptable HMO concentrations?
Lewisham Council defines inferior attention of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) grounded on detriment arising from overconcentration in specific areas, which affects road quality, waste operation, original amenities, parking, noise situations, and the general character of domestic neighborhoods.
The council considers an area infelicitous for further HMOs if a high number or attention of HMOs causes provable detriment to residents’ living conditions or the area’s character. Lewisham has enforced Composition 4 Directions in specific wards (Bellingham, Whitefoot, Downham, and Grove Park) to circumscribe permitted development rights for small HMOs, aiming to help further dangerous attention where HMOs were preliminarily low but rising.
The council supports fresh licensing schemes to ameliorate operation and norms of HMOs city-wide. Development operation programs in Lewisham’s Original Plan address dangerous overconcentrations by controlling new HMOs, taking planning authorization, and licensing compliance.