Town gets another HMO despite opposition from council leader

A plan to convert an end-terraced house in Ince into a six-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) has been approved, despite ‘concerns’ raised by Wigan council leader David Molyneux. Coun Molyneux, who is also a ward councillor for Ince, has questioned the ‘suitability of the property’ on Bryn Street to be used as an HMO citing parking and waste bin storage among the issues.

However, in a report by officers on Wigan’s online planning portal says: “The [planning] application relates to considerations of a legal matter and therefore concerns raised are not relevant to the determination of the application.”

The property will be refurbished and the lower and upper floors will be reconfigured so it can accommodate a maximum of six bedrooms. Occupants will have shared bathroom, kitchen and dining facilities.

READ MORE:‘We are being ghettoised in this area’: Hundreds protest over plans for pub

The report says the house could ‘comfortably accommodate a range of households, such as an individual living alone, a couple, a group of co-habiting adults, or a family unit with two or three children. The applicant is Muster Investments Ltd, whose registered address is in Windsor, Berkshire.

Approval of this plan follows hard on the heels of a protest by up to 300 residents in the Scholes area of Wigan over the conversion of the Crispin Arms pub on Birkett Bank into a 15-bed HMO. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, local councillors and neighbours say Wigan is reaching ‘saturation point’ with HMOs, citing concerns over soaring drug, crime and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood.

There are currently 183 licensed HMOs with five or more tenants who form more than one household and who share toilet, bathroom and kitchen facilities in Wigan, according to the town’s register of such properties in the town.

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