**Bridgend Town Centre Granted Permission for HMO Conversion Amid Residents’ Concerns**
A property in the heart of Bridgend has been officially approved for use as a house in multiple occupation (HMO), despite considerable pushback from local residents and councillors. The decision was reached by Bridgend County Borough Council’s planning committee in May 2025, as members voted in favour of the controversial application concerning a former family home now adapted for six occupants.
The property in question, located at Grove Gardens, was initially a four-bedroom residence before undergoing an internal remodel. Though it had already been converted to an HMO in June 2023, retrospective planning approval was required to regularise its status—a process that sparked spirited discussion and attracted numerous objections from the community.
According to an official report presented to the planning committee, no fewer than fifteen letters of objection were submitted by neighbours residing on Grove Road and St Marie Street. The complaints spanned a range of issues, with the most common concerns being the potential loss of privacy, the perceived depletion of family housing stock, mounting pressures on on-street parking, and fears that anti-social behaviour might increase as a result of the development.
Bridgend Town Council itself was among the objectors, referencing a growing concentration of HMOs in the immediate area as a major point of unease. Councillors raised questions about the balance of housing types in the neighbourhood and underscored anxieties related to parking limitations, traffic congestion, and general road safety. These matters resonated with some members of the planning committee, who expressed skepticism about access routes to the property. Access is gained via a narrow privately-owned lane connecting Grove Road and Ewenny Road—a factor that led to further deliberations about feasibility and safety.
An added complication emerged when the owners of the access lane signalled their refusal to permit HMO residents to use it. Planning officers acknowledged this dispute, but highlighted that such access disagreements fall within the remit of civil law rather than planning legislation—a technicality that shaped the parameters of the committee’s authority in the matter.
Addressing the density of HMOs in the vicinity, council officers assured the committee that even with the approval of this particular property, the total number of HMOs would not surpass the local policy threshold, which restricts them to no more than 10% of homes within a 50-metre radius. Planning staff further asserted that there was currently no strong evidence to suggest an increased risk of crime or a rise in residents’ fear of crime attributable to the HMO’s operation. Based on these findings, officers recommended that planning permission be granted.
The debate proved divisive, with some committee members—such as Councillor Jonathan Pratt representing Newton—arguing for a deferral of the decision pending a more thorough investigation into the parking and access challenges. However, this motion was ultimately defeated by a margin of 10 votes to six.
After further consideration, the committee voted 12 to four in favour of granting full planning approval for the retrospective change of use. The decision effectively cements the status of the Grove Gardens property as a six-bedroom HMO, a development likely to have lasting implications for the residential character of this section of Bridgend.
Coinciding with this decision was the approval of a separate major application—a new aggregate recycling centre within the borough, designed to process up to 205,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste annually. This additional planning approval marks a period of significant change for Bridgend, as it continues to manage development pressures across different sectors.
The outcome of the HMO application highlights an ongoing tension between efforts to meet housing demand—particularly for affordable shared accommodation—and the desire of some residents to preserve what they view as the traditional community fabric. As the landscape of Bridgend evolves, the debates surrounding planning proposals such as these are likely to persist.
Residents and stakeholders will now be watching closely to see how these changes affect both the immediate vicinity and the wider town, as Bridgend negotiates the competing priorities of growth, character, and liveability.