Ipswich Borough Council decision due on plans to turn Ipswich town centre flats into shared homes

A final decision is due on plans to turn flats in a town centre into shared homes.

The plans, submitted by Courtney Bryan, are to turn three flats at Maritime House, in St Helen's Street, Ipswich, into three separate Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), each having three bedrooms.

The building dates back to the late 1980s as a former block of offices, before being converted into flats in May last year.

Despite having no objections from neighbours, Ipswich's planning committee members, who will discuss the plans next Wednesday, have previously cracked down on new HMOs in the town.

Last year, it approved the implementation of an Article 4 Direction area, removing permitted development rights to turn homes into small HMOs and requiring planning applications to be submitted to the authority.

Just last month, committee members unanimously refused to turn a four-bedroom home in Newson Street into a shared home, despite an officer's recommendation for approval.

According to the officer's report, due to be presented to councillors next week, while the plans would increase the number of HMOs in St Helen’s Street, they would likely not increase the number of adults living there.

This means the development would not have an extra impact on neighbours or parking in the area.

Officers said the lack of objections from the council's teams regarding unlicensed HMOs in the area, as well as from residents, indicated there was not an over-concentration of shared homes in St Helen’s Street.

The plans are recommended for approval by planners.