Wednesbury town centre shop owner hits out at HMO objectors as plans are backed

The former Rajpoot Discount Warehouse in Market Place, Wednesbury, would be extended, tidied up and re-opened as an 11-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) after plans by Shokat Ali were backed by Sandwell Council’s planning application. A new shopfront would also be installed with the ground floor retail unit remaining.

The applicant Shokat Ali, owner of Orchard Coffee Lounge and Amigos Pizza in Wednesbury town centre, said he had owned an HMO above the coffee shop for the last seven years 'without any issues' and brushed off calls for the application to be rejected by neighbours.

At the planning meeting on October 23, he told councillors: “I appreciate that HMO is a dirty word these days because they are springing up everywhere, but not all HMOs are the same.

“And not all HMO landlords are the same.”

The crumbling former shop, described as a ‘prominent’ eyesore in Wednesbury town centre in the application, has become a mess with the building’s rear courtyard overgrown and covered in bricks.

Mr Ali said he did not understand objections saying that the HMO would ‘ruin the character’ of the already dilapidated building – saying his planned improvements were far ahead of the current state of the former shop.

“Is it better now or will it be better when I have finished with it?” he asked. “I’ve tried my very best to get better things for Wednesbury and this building is in a very bad place. These objectors have nothing better to do. This is a town centre, what do you expect? If you can’t open an HMO in the town centre, where can you? I’m doing something better for the town.”

The objections said the planned HMO would cause overlooking and result in a loss of privacy for neighbours and a loss of light for properties in Walsall Street. Objectors also said the HMO did not have enough parking spaces, would “affect the character” of Wednesbury’s Market Place and potentially result in an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour.

Labour councillor Jenny Chidley, who represents the Wednesbury South ward and sits on the planning committee, has supported the work saying it would add to the council’s improvement work in the town.

In a report published ahead of the meeting, the authority’s planners had recommended the application be approved, saying a town centre was an appropriate location for a new HMO. “The property has been vacant for some time and is in a general state of disrepair both internally and externally,” the report said.

“The new shop front and conversion to HMO would bring a vacant property back into use and uplift its external appearance. The retail use would also contribute to the economy of the town centre.

“The proposed HMO use is appropriate to the town centre location and bedroom sizes, as well as the shared kitchen and dining room, meet the required standards.”

Highways officers at Sandwell Council said the proposed HMO would be in a central location with 'excellent' links to public transport and car parks and raised no objections.

A statement included with the application said: “The application proposal would result in an improved standard of accommodation for future occupiers and an acceptable impact on the occupiers of neighbouring properties.

“The level of accommodation now proposed would be appropriate for the size and scale of 16 Market Place and would be compatible and consistent with many other recent permissions that have been granted in the immediate locality.

“The property is located in a highly sustainable location within an established town centre location.”