PLANS to turn a former care home into a 13-bed house of multiple occupation have been met with disdain from local residents - and the area’s three councillors have backed their concerns.
An application was submitted to Barnsley Council to turn part of Manor Court, on Churchfield Lane, Kexborough, into the HMO.
A report states that the facility is ‘much-needed’ - and a gym will also be included for those who live there.
It added: “The current owner has owned the building since approximately 2014 in which the entire rear of the building has been fully refurbished but has never been used.
“However following quite a substantial refurbishment of the building by the current owner it has provided to date office space from which to operate their domiciliary care business training academy including the provision of a respite day care facility.
“The property has embraced both these usages and appears to be well suited to the sustainability given the cellular layout of the building and has the capacity to provide further individual office/training accommodation if required.
“The property owner now wants to make use of the existing refurbished bedroom and en-suite facilities within the rear single-storey section of the building in which the provision of an on-site, managed, high-class HMO would provide the much-needed long, medium and short term professional accommodation that is required within the area.
“The separate bedrooms and en-suites tenants will also be provided with communal dayroom, kitchen, dining and gym provision within the ground floor level of the two-storey section of the building.”
The report added that the site would have no detrimental effect on residents in the area and it will instead attract professional workers from overseas.
“The main vision and idea for the HMO is to attract professional working tenants linked to the NHS, in which staff that may arrive from different parts of the country or from overseas where finding suitable accommodation can be a problem,” the report added.
“It is therefore the intention of this HMO to partly alleviate this problem by offering secure affordable accommodation.
“Hopefully this will help in attracting further staff to Barnsley Hospital if an advertisement link can be advertised within.
“Preliminary discussions with some of the residents locally would suggest that bringing the building back into use as a specialist residential home will be a significant improvement and a beneficial use of the site and the unused areas of the existing
building.”
However, the application has sparked concern among some residents who have been handing out leaflets to neighbouring properties, urging them to submit their views on the plans.
It said: “Everyone has experienced the difficulties over the years traversing Churchfield Lane with the parking and traffic situations.
“The disabled, elderly and families often struggle along the pavements on Manor Court because of badly-parked vehicles.
“Manor Court already has two businesses running from the front of the building and now with this proposed HMO to the rear it will add extra problems for all of us.
“We live in a quiet, semi-rural residential area, why should we have an HMO imposed upon us?”
Darton West councillors Trevor Cave, Alice Cave and Sharon Howard have all backed the campaign.
A joint statement issued to the Chronicle states: “Darton West councillors have been in detailed discussions with residents on Churchfield Lane who raise several issues regarding this new proposal for an HMO development.
“To support them we shall be putting on record our objections to the planning proposals.
“Residents take the view that the proposed development will have a negative impact on the outlook, privacy, and value of their properties.
“They are concerned about the proposed HMO and the problems it may cause to this quiet residential area.
“The locality is one where people take pride in their surroundings, do home improvements and keep the area tidy.
“There is a generally positive attitude, a sense of community and pride in the area.”
