New ten-bed HMO in Bognor Regis submitted

The conversion would see Rose Cottage in Shripney Road and its annex at the back of the property housing seven bedrooms in the main building and three in the annex, with both buildings housing separate kitchens – adding the annex and main building would be two self contained units.

All bedrooms, the developer says, will be proposed as single occupancy with some big enough to accommodate more people than that, and the biggest bedroom at 15.5sqm will include an en suite bathroom.

Three car parking spaces will also be provided between the annex and main building.

Arun District Council recently introduced Article 4 directions to control the density of HMOs in Marine, Hotham and River wards in Arun, allowing them to strip permitted development rights from new HMO applicants, forcing them to apply for planning permission.

According to the developer, guidance under many other councils states ten per cent HMO concentration within a 50m to 100m radius of the property as an acceptable rate.

They said measuring at a 100m radius around Rose Cottage the rate currently sits at around three per cent, or three in 105 houses in the area (including Rose Cottage and the annex separately), with zero other HMOs in a 50m radius.

Arun District Council currently has no such measure for density, and is currently consulting, from June 12 to August 20, on how to address HMOs in Bognor Regis and other urban areas in Arun.

To view details of the plans visit https://www.arun.gov.uk/planning-application-search with reference code BR/168/23/PL.