Plans for a new six-bed HMO on Gerrard Street have been put to the city council. The street is already dominated by eight HMOs on a street which contains 29 houses.

However councillors unanimously refused to grant the application, which follows the planning officers recommendation to reject the proposal. The proposal for the HMO was to have three bedrooms on each floor, with the applicant expecting between seven and eight residents to be housed in the property.

Three neighbours objected to the proposal, Pauline Swift who lives on Gerrard Street wrote to Stoke-on-Trent City Council saying: " We are a street of 29 houses 8 are hmos we have problems with parking and emergency services getting to us and the park should anything happen there. While Keren Bithell said: "We are a small street with parking issues anyway.

"Residents who have lived here for over 30 years are being driven out of their own homes because of the lack of care or support by the local council and greedy builders. Shaun Pender was helping us last year to stop a bail house that now is in a state of disrepair."

In the planning report a planning officer said that the development would amount to "sub-standard" residential accommodation and that the living conditions would be "poor". Objections were also submitted from Staffordshire Police, the local ward councillor and the HMO officer.

Councillor Daniela Santoro (Lab), ward councillor, requested that the application be heard by the planning committee. She said: "These are transient communities and are often the cause of neighbourhood neglect and ASB"

During the meeting Councillor Dave Evans (Con) recommended that the application be refused and called for a HMO policy to ensure consistency across the city. He said: "I'm fairly sure I've seen HMOs in other parts of the city almost identical to this come to this committee and be recommended for approval in the past. 

"I appreciate every case is on its merits and there will be fine differences. I just think we need a hard and fast policy in terms of what we expect from HMOs in the city because they are the type of accommodation we have quite often and ultimately making sure we're consistent."

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