New block of flats approved on site of current house of multiple occupancy

The site, on Bundle Hill, is currently occupied by an eight-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO) which will be demolished to make way for the new building.

The new block will be made up of four one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments.

In a report for planners, council officers said: “The existing building comprises of a large irregularly shaped two-storey red brick property that sits towards the north west corner of the plot.

“The property has previously been extended with unsympathetic extensions and additions over the years that have eroded the traditional appearance of the original premises and has undermined the architectural quality of the building.”

The size of the proposed development had been reduced after objections from neighbouring residents about traffic and the size of the original design.

In a statement supporting the application, Hardwick Studio Architects said: “The proposed development has been significantly reduced in height, scale and mass and therefore will have little to zero impact on the neighbouring properties.

“The proposed development has been positioned and designed to have as little impact on the recently developed dwellings on the former garden of The Rectory.”

Dudley’s planners granted permission for the project after a recommendation for approval from officers who said: “The revised development will deliver sustainable residential development on an underutilised site to provide new housing, in the public interest, in an appropriate and sustainable location.”