Bid to turn Dudley pub into shipping container storage submitted by 'HMO Daddy' to be decided

Dudley Council has turned down moves to convert the former Rollers Arms in Foundry Street, Coseley, into the storage facility, saying the shipping containers would be “unduly prominent” and “to the detriment” of the now empty and boarded-up ex-pub.

Dudley Council had granted permission for the former pub to be used as a storage facility in 2021 – which also allowed ten shipping containers to be placed on the site – but then said the ruling was now invalid as the work had not been carried out within three years.

Jim Haliburton, dubbed the ‘HMO Daddy’ for his huge property empire that stretches to hundreds of bedsits across the Black Country, has now turned to the government’s planning inspectors, who have the power to overrule the council, in a bid to get the green light for his application.

A statement included with the appeal said: “Since [2021] the building has been used for the storage of furniture and other materials in association with the appellant’s housing business. “Notwithstanding that the property has been rated as storage for business rates by Dudley Council since 2023, the planning officer disputes this and claims within the case officer’s report that the use has not commenced and that in their opinion the use remains as a public house.

“This is based solely on a site visit in September 2024 although to the appellant’s knowledge, as the building is both gated and locked, no-one has entered or sought permission to enter the site or building itself. The appellant maintains that although no containers were brought to site the building has been used for storage and as such the use has commenced. The lawful use of the site is therefore storage.”

The pub closed in 2015 and a move to convert it into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) by Skyline Property Investment was rejected by Dudley Council in 2017 and an appeal to the government’s planning inspectors in a bid to get the decision overturned was dismissed in 2018.

The council issued an enforcement notice in October 2018 saying the pub had illegally been converted into a HMO anyway despite the refusals and ordered the building to be converted back to its original state.

An appeal over that order was also thrown out by planning inspectors in 2019.

Several other plans including a move for a 12-bed HMO and a nine-bed hotel were rejected in 2019 and 2020 – with an appeal over the hotel decision also dismissed in 2021.

Mr Haliburton applied for permission to place 14 shipping containers on the pub’s former garden and car park as part of the proposed storage facility but was rejected by Dudley Council in October last year.

Last year’s planning application said Mr Haliburton owned “several” properties and used the former Rollers Arms to store furniture and other materials while decorating and renovating.

Dudley Council said that after visiting the site it was not satisfied the conversion to a storage facility had been carried out and ruled the three-year planning permission had therefore lapsed in June last year and the building was still, technically, a pub.