Mixed results for developer

A developer who wants to convert two homes into flats in Ollerton and Boughton was told on Tuesday he could go ahead with one of the plans but not the other.

Newark and Sherwood District Council planning committee turned down the first application to convert a semi-detached house at 5 Hallam Road, Boughton.

But they approved a second application to convert a semi-detached house at 1 Forest Road, Ollerton, into two flats.

Mr Dean Nixon, a district councillor for Boughton, speaking about the first application, said he was concerned that there appeared to be several developments in the area where homes were being converted into flats.

He said the conversions could bring problems caused by multi-occupation such as noise, and urged members to refuse the application.

Mr Roger Blaney said that the council had to find a set number of new homes for the district each year and if they did not allow conversion applications new homes would have to be built elsewhere.

He said the sub-division of a family house could fulfill a very useful purpose for people who wanted a smaller place to live.

But Mr Ben Wells said that he was concerned that homes were being converted into one person flats at the expense of first-time buyers and said he was opposed to the plans.

Mrs Sue Saddington said she was not sure the house in question was suitable for conversion into flats.

Mr Wells was also opposed to the second application.

He said the house was a former colliery house and he was concerned that it could change the character of Ollerton if it was converted.

“These are three or four bedroom properties which are right for a young family just starting up,” he said.

Mrs Saddington said it was a larger property with larger rooms that could be converted.

Mr David Payne said he was concerned that the council did not have a policy about this type of application and said he wanted them to be consistent.

Both applications were made by Keith Moore Properties of West Markham.

Mr Moore said on Wednesday that he felt let down by the planning process as the recommendations from the planning officers for both were that they should be approved.

He said that he felt they were providing the chance for smaller family units to obtain decent accommodation.

He said permission had been given to turn a similar property on Hallam Road into flats last year.

Mr Moore said he was also concerned by a suggestion that the council should look at drawing up a policy which could put doubt on any similar conversion schemes in the future.

“If they did that it would not only contradict what they had decided on previous similar applications but it would affect our ability to provide accommodation for the smaller family unit,” he said.

He said he would be happy for committee members to see houses that had already been converted and see how their occupants had found a home when they had been unable to get onto the property ladder as first-time buyers.

At a recent meeting of Ollerton and Boughton Town Council, members criticised the growing trend for developers to turn larger homes into flats.

Mrs Stella Smedley said many decent family homes with three or four bedrooms were being lost, when there were plenty of smaller starter homes available, or being built elsewhere in the town.

She said some were former colliery worker homes which should be preserved, or become subject to conservation orders.

Councillors were also worried about access and potential problems with carparking resulting from multiple occupancy of homes.