A RETROSPECTIVE plan to transform a once fire ravaged building which housed a cannabis farm above a restaurant building on Sankey Street, Warrington, into a HMO property, has been approved by planners.
An electrical fault at the “professional cannabis farm” in November 2021 is believed to have caused the blaze which ripped through the three-storey former Efes restaurant building on Sankey Street.
Now town planners at Warrington Borough Council have approved plans to allow th building to be a HMO.
A heritage statement to support the application for a retrospective change of use for the part first floor, all second floor to HMO (use class c4) and the ground floor to remain business (use class
e).
Following extensive fire damage throughout the property, a comprehensive refurbishment was undertaken to restore and optimise the building’s space, preventing its deterioration into a derelict state.
The application sought planning permission for a change of use, primarily involving internal amendments.
While the ground floor layout stays unaltered, the first floor has been reconfigured to accommodate a shared kitchen and one HMO bedroom with en-suite facilities. The second floor provides two added HMO
bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom.
The property was in a severely dilapidated state and needed extensive refurbishment due to considerable damage caused by the fire making the property visually and architecturally unappealing.
The adjoining property at 131-135 Sankey Street is already a registered 10-person HMO, as shown by the publicly available Warrington HMO register.
The rear passage, accessible to tenants of 137 Sankey Street and neighbouring properties, currently serves as a designated area for refuse disposal and collection for both domestic and commercial purposes.
Refurbishing the property from its previously dilapidated condition enhances its visual appeal and contributes positively to the overall aesthetic of the conservation area, proving a commitment to maintaining and preserving the quality of properties within the locality.
The adjoining property shows that the proposed use aligns with the existing character of the area and falls within the same use class as the neighbouring property. Since the presence
of a similar HMO next door has not demonstrably diminished the character or amenity of the area, granting approval for this application would be consistent with established precedent and compatible with the
local context.
The rear passage has historically been used for deliveries and refuse storage, with commercial waste bins typically placed near the end of the passage and smaller domestic bins found near the rear of the
properties along the passage. Given this on-going use, the proposal does not exacerbate the existing conditions of the area.
