Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Councillors have refused to grant planning permission for a HMO in Newport over concerns about a bedroom size, bike storage, and bins.

Members of the planning committee chose to overrule an officers’ recommendation to retrospectively approve a three-bed HMO at 33 Walmer Road.

Two ward councillors also told the committee another HMO would pile pressure on the neighbourhood.

HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) are typically properties for single, unrelated adults who have their own private bedrooms but share other communal areas.

In this case, three bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the first floor, while a living room, kitchen and dining room are on the ground floor.

Applicant Idriss Denou previously had an application rejected for a four-bed HMO at the property – where work was reportedly completed in November 2024 – because of flood risk to a ground-floor bedroom.

The new application sought to overcome that reason by removing the bedroom from the plans.

During a planning committee meeting, on Wednesday July 2, case officer Vicky Quinn said the revised plans were recommended for approval.

The property was a house and “will remain a house”, she said, adding there are no other registered HMOs within a 50-metre radius.

However, Beechwood councillor Matthew Pimm said “not that much further away there are already a number of HMOs in existence”, in a “built-up area”.

He also claimed the property was “not big enough” to be a three-bed HMO.

Ward colleague Cllr Mark Spencer complained about poor parking availability in the neighbourhood, telling the committee “if you go there after 4pm they’re parking on pavements” and street corners. 

“This area is not suitable for a HMO,” he added.

In written submissions to the planning department, another Beechwood representative, Cllr Deb Davies, said parking problems are “the main concern that always gets raised” by local residents.

A dozen neighbours also objected to the HMO application during a recent consultation period.

Ms Quinn said “it’s appreciated that parking demand will vary” in the neighbourhood but pointed out planning inspectors had confirmed during other appeals “this is not justification to refuse” developments.

Senior planning officer Andrew Ferguson explained the council had previously lost appeals “on situations that are worse than this” for parking.

But committee members chose to focus on other aspects of the application when stating their case for refusal.

Cllr Mark Howells said the size of an upstairs bedroom “falls below minimum space standards”, while a cycle storage space at the rear of the property was also unsuitable.

Cllr Trevor Watkins added he believed the bin capacity provided would be too small for a three-bed HMO.

The committee agreed to refuse planning permission based on those three grounds.