Move to add more rooms to HMO in former West Bromwich pub is blocked

The move which would have seen eight new rooms replace the old lounge and bar of the half-empty former Hargate Arms pub in West Bromwich was rejected by planners at Sandwell Council.

The council said the conversion would result in a “poor standard of accommodation” with future tenants forced into cramped rooms. The application did not include enough space for cars, the council added.

Highways officers said the plans for the pub’s old car park, which included 13 spaces, did not include enough space for cars to turn. “Adequate provision has not been made for the parking of vehicles within the curtilage of the site and clear of the highway,” the council said.

The old watering hole’s first-floor function room had already been converted into an eight-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) after closing to drinkers in 2016.

The tiny rooms, which also include a kitchenette and bathroom, measure between just eight and 12 square metres. Under the latest proposal, two of the existing cell-like rooms on the former pub’s first floor would also have been converted into a shared lounge and kitchen. Six rooms would remain unchanged.

A statement included with the application by Jatinder Singh had said each room would include “ample” space.

“The accommodation would provide suitable standard of accommodation, with room sizes that meet the council’s standards including ample room sizes, outlook, private shower rooms and living and cooking facilities as well as light and accessibility,” it said.

“The proposed HMO flats are located in an established residential area with very good accessibility and within walking distance to several shops, businesses and services,” the application also said.

“The proximity of the nearby hospital places a constant demand in the need for affordable, flexible, accommodation space. The proposal will help meet this demand in a sustainable location and given the existing use, the current proposal does not result in the loss of a residential dwelling but rather reuses a vacant site.”