Owner drops HMO plans after public response
GoogleA property will no longer be turned into a four-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO), despite permission being granted by the council.
South Tyneside Council had given the green light to the development on Kent Street despite about 40 objections raising concerns including an "overconcentration of HMOs" in the area and the possibility of noise, anti-social behaviour and "high tenant turnover".
However, the property owner said they would now no longer be proceeding with their plans due to a strong negative response from locals.
A spokesperson for the owner said: "After careful consideration of the feedback received, we have made the decision not to proceed with the HMO."
They said the owner had spoken directly with neighbours and "listened carefully to the concerns raised".
"We believe it is important to respect and value the views of the local community, and we recognise that any development should work in partnership with the people who live and work in the area," they said.
Work would still be carried out to "update and improve" the property, they added.
