Plans for a Nottinghamshire chippy to be converted into flats were rejected amid concerns the area was being 'swamped' by students. A proposal for the Humber Road Chippy in Beeston to be turned into a seven-bedroom house in multiple occupation was rejected by Broxtowe Borough Council's planning committee on Wednesday, March 8, despite planning officers recommending approval.
"It makes me very sad again to be here tonight. Humber Road chippy [has been] well known to me for many, many years, even as a girl. When Beeston becomes like Lenton and Dunkirk, where are we going to go because this is just getting out of control?" she said.The councillor disagreed with the argument that the plan would add to the housing mix of the area, adding: "I absolutely, totally disagree because there is not a mix of housing.
Broxtowe Borough Council's Article 4 Direction came into force in 2022 and means that planning permission is needed to change the use of a house to a HMO with three to six residents in parts of Beeston. Committee members Councillor Richard Jackson and Councillor Philip Owen agreed the current Article 4 direction was not fit for purpose, and called for further changes to limit the creation of HMOs in the area.
The plans were unanimously rejected by the members of the planning committee. However, it was discussed in the meeting that this decision would be difficult to defend should the applicant appeal and take the plan to the Planning Inspectorate, as planning officers had recommended the project when accessing it against planning policy.
Close down the university