A retrospective plan to extend a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the Fairfield area of Warrington has again been refused by town planners.
The refusal for the property on Willis Street comes even after the applicant accepted the concerns previously raised in relation to the change of use as a large HMO, and now seeks permission solely for the as-built extensions.
The proposal site is a mid-terraced house on a residential street with properties from the same build period and of the same design. The buildings on the other side of the street are part of a school that now
houses community groups, including the Warrington Visually Impaired People charity. The site has an existing lawful use as a 6-bedroom HMO.
The proposal is a retrospective application for the retention of a single-storey rear extension and a rear dormer.
The rear extension is flat-roofed and provides additional space to a bedroom. It is rendered white with a window in the rear elevation. The dormer is L-shaped, extending on the rear-facing plane of the dwelling’s main roof and the roof of the two-storey section, which extends outwards. It has two windows in both rear elevations and a window in the side elevation that faces towards No. 11 Willis Street. The facing elevations are grey cladding.
The proposal was previously refused under application ref. 2025/00429/FUL, which also included a change of use for the dwelling from a 6-person HMO (use class C4) into a 7-person HMO (use class sui generis), which is not included as part of this application.
Four representations have been received in objection to the proposal. Reasons for objection are summarised as follows:
The size of the extensions is overbearing and has an impact on the privacy of adjacent
residents.
Design impact of the proposal on the local area.
Proposal dwelling should not be used as an HMO.
Increased pressure on parking in the street.
A view of the residential street scene – Picture Google Earth
A Planning Statement from Lewis & Co was submitted on behalf of the applicant, Mr Ashley Peters, in support of a retrospective planning application on Willis Street, Warrington. The submission follows the refusal of an earlier retrospective application (ref. 2025/00429/FUL), which sought consent for the extensions alongside a proposed change of use to a large House in Multiple Occupation (Sui Generis).
In this revised application, the Sui Generis HMO element has been omitted entirely. The applicant has accepted the concerns previously raised in relation to the change of use and now seeks permission solely for the as built extensions.
The extensions are considered appropriate in scale, design, and overall impact. In response to feedback provided in the earlier officer’s report, a number of amendments have been made to further align the development with the requirements of the adopted Local Plan. These changes specifically address matters raised in relation to neighbouring amenity.
Certain aspects of the development remain unaltered from the previous submission. While the Council expressed concerns regarding these elements, the applicant maintains that they are acceptable when assessed against relevant planning policy and guidance. It is respectfully submitted that these features do not give rise to demonstrable harm and should be supported on planning grounds. The applicant invites the Council to reconsider its position in light of the additional justification now provided.
The property is currently used as a small House in Multiple Occupation (6 person) and is accessed directly from Willis Street. It includes a private rear garden that provides outdoor amenity space. The surrounding area features a mix of residential and commercial uses, with many larger buildings in the vicinity having been converted to HMOs or self-contained flats in response to ongoing housing demand.
As existing, the property has been extended at ground level with a single-storey extension subsuming an older pitched-roofed single-storey outrigger which projected circa 1.5m. The property has also been extended within its roof, an L-shaped dormer extension extends across the main rear roof plane and upon the roof plane of a two-storey rear outrigger.
While there is no dedicated on-site parking, on-street parking is available nearby. The site’s central location and strong public transport connectivity make it well-suited to car-free living.
But planners have ruled under delegated powers that the two extensions by virtue of their scale and height, do not harmonise well with the age and character of the host building. The materials and form of the dormer also fail to preserve adequate space to the edge of the roof, resulting in an extension which is a large, incongruous and over-dominant roof feature. The dormer is also visible from public vantage points and neighbouring
properties, resulting in harm to the appearance of the area. As such, the proposals have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity and character of the area.
The rear extension by virtue of its height and proximity to the shared boundary with a neighbouring property, has resulted in an unduly overbearing and intrusive addition which impacts upon the general amenity of those occupiers and detracts from the enjoyment of their outdoor area. Consequently, this element of the proposal is harmful to residential amenity.
The extensions
