Swansea Council recently hit the courtroom to fix a major oops! They accidentally issued a planning decision with the wrong heading. The drama unfolded when property investor Umesh Kalra applied to keep his King Edward’s Road home as a house for seven instead of six. Even though the Council initially said no, the decision notice confusingly read like a green light.
Fast forward a few months, the Council slapped an enforcement notice on the property, saying it was breaching planning permission by operating as an unapproved HMO, lacking enough communal space, and increasing over-intensification in the area—oops again.
Mr Kalra wasn’t having it and appealed, but a planning inspector backed the Council’s enforcement notice and rejected the appeal. The inspector noted the Council had rectified its earlier blunder in the courts and reaffirmed their refusal.
The property, which is licensed as an HMO, was in hot water for breaching local HMO thresholds, with a whopping 62.5% of nearby properties already operating as shared houses. While the bedrooms were up to standard, the living area was criticised for being cramped and some windows faced gloomy walls. No dice there! Mr Kalra’s argument to keep the property as a minimal six-bed HMO was also shot down, and he’s got eight months to comply with the notice.
It seems like King Edward’s Road will remain a hot topic, but Swansea Council is sticking to the plan. What do you think about keeping tight reins on HMOs in student areas? Share your thoughts below! 📢🏠✨