Ruling on plan for HMO on Church Street West, Radcliffe

The plan would have seen the former Finefit premises on Church Street West, Radcliffe, minutes’ walk from the town centre and tram stop converted into a “house of multiple occupation” for 35 people.

But this provoked a flurry of more than 50 objections and Bury Council has now announced that the proposal has been refused.

A public comment objecting to the plan said: “This area of Radcliffe is already densely populated with houses, particularly family homes.

“I believe placing a very large HMO will have a detrimental effect on the area and it would impact hugely on the people living in the area.

The plans have been refused by Bury Council (Image: Bury Council)

“This planning would offer no benefit to the area and would cause more of a hinderance.

“There is no positive outcome of building a large HMO on a Main Street into the Centre of Radcliffe.

“This planning needs to be refused.”

The plan was first put before Bury Council on Friday, September 22 last year and has prompted several similar objections since then.

The site on Church Street West in Radcliffe (Image: Google Maps)

The area around Church Street West is mainly made up of housing, with businesses also found at various points along the road.

But the developers behind the proposal argued that the Church Street West site was vacant and that the shared house would be one that “maintains a positive relationship with its surroundings".  

 A statement said: “It is felt that the development will enhance the immediate surroundings.

“The development has been designed to be robust and adaptable over time.

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“This has been achieved by providing sufficient internal and external spaces that provide potential opportunities for the dwelling to be extended, converted and adapted.

“The development has been set back from the highway and off‐road parking is provided for numerous cars to the side of the property.”

The developers also claimed that people living in the shared house would have good transport links to Manchester and Bury thanks to the nearby tram and bus lines.

But on Friday, January 19 this year Bury Council announced that they had decided to refuse the plans.