No go to 8-bed HMO with 130 objections

A proposed HMO that attracted more than 130 letters of objection will not go ahead after planners condemned the scheme as ‘incompatible’ with the local area.

Developers hoped to turn the overgrown plot at the corner of Market Street and Albert Street in Droylsden into an 8-bed home of multiple occupancy, but Tameside’s planning department rejected the idea as it could have a negative impact on nearby businesses. 

The decision report from TMBC’s Director of Place Julian Jackson said the garage behind the property would be especially impacted, while any future residents of the flats would likely be affected by noise from the neighbouring industrial units. 

Planners also criticised the lack of cooking facilities, calling them “inadequate to cater for the needs of up to eight occupants”. 

The lack of communal areas also came under fire: “It is considered that residents are likely to be confined to their room as the proportion of communal space within the property is poor,” Mr Jackson said. “This applies equally to both internal and external space.” 

The report also condemned the shape and location of the bedrooms, with one being singled out for being accessed directly from the living room, while there was no space for residents to wash and dry clothes. 

Mr Jackson also claimed the property could “give rise to unacceptable harm to the living conditions of the proposed occupiers”. 

As of February 2025, average rents for one-bed flats in Tameside are £619 per month, meaning the developers could have expected the scheme to generate around £60,000 per year.