Plan to cram eight people into house compared to 'Dr Who's TARDIS'

Plans to convert a terraced home into an eight-unit shared house have been likened to ‘Dr Who’s Tardis’.

Bolton Council’s planning committee rejected plans to convert a mid-terrace house on Tonge Moor Road with no dedicated parking into a HMO for eight people. Planning officers said the application complied with regulations on bedroom and shared amenity space, and members were warned by the chair of planning that rejecting the plans would lead to ‘no grounds’ to defend any appeal.

Ward councillor Martyn Donaghy, said: “I have received many objections to the proposal. I don’t know too much about Dr Who’s Tardis but I know it was bigger on the inside than what it appeared to be on the outside.

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“That appears to be the case here. There’s a question of parking, traditionally with HMOs, people haven’t had cars.

“We’re living in a housing crisis and seeing young professional people, students and trainees having to use that type of accommodation. I don’t think we can assume those people will not have a car.

“Also any amenity space at the back of the property has been taken up to house bikes and bins. I understand applicants have to make a return on their investment but eight units in a terraced house is really is pushing it, it’s sweating the asset to the nth-degree.”

Coun Emily Mort, told the meeting: “I’m well aware that room sizes in the dwelling meet minimum standards it has to be noted that these standards are simply not fit for purpose. “They don’t supply residents with suitable living standards of what I’d expect the people fo Bolton to experience.”

Coun David Grant, said: “I sympathise but there are simply no grounds to reject this