A charity helping homeless people has been granted planning permission to enlarge a shared house despite objections from neighbours.
St Mungo’s can build a single-storey rear extension on the lower-ground floor of 2 Gordon Road, Brighton, as well as a two-storey side extension and a rear dormer extension.
The extensions will allow the charity to increase the number of people living in the property – a house in multiple occupation (HMO) – from seven people to eight.
People in the public gallery heckled – with shouts of “it’s an absolute joke” – as Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee approved the proposal at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Wednesday 5 July).
One of the property’s neighbours Melissa Melly spoke on behalf of 40 objectors to tell councillors that the shared house had been a “nightmare” for the past 18 years.
She said: “We have suffered severe sleep loss, disturbances from loud voices, slamming doors, visitors in and out day and night, drug taking and anti-social behaviour.
“This has been hugely detrimental to our mental and physical health as well as our relationships and ability to work.”
In previous years the house was occupied by students which Ms Melly said could be noisy one year and quiet another.
She told the committee that neighbours had kept noise diaries, complained to the police and asked the council to revoke the HMO licence.
Neighbours were worried about drug and alcohol use and loss of privacy if the extension went ahead, she added.
Labour councillor Liz Loughran supported residents’ objections to the scheme. She said that the communal areas could become overcrowded.
St Mungo’s regional director Dan Olney said that the charity currently ran the Housing First project, a supported housing project in Gloucester Street and an employment support project.
Mr Olney said: “There are many people stuck in 24-hour hostels who no longer require that level of support – or for whom that type of services is not suitable – and they’re ready to move on into more independent accommodation.
“The Gordon Road project will play a pivotal role in helping these people by freeing up other valuable spaces in 24-hour hostel provision for people who are on the streets who need it.”
Mr Olney said that St Mungo’s was “new to the property” after leasing the building last October. He said that staff would be available from 9am to 5pm daily and the residents would not have “high needs”.
Any residents would also have to sign up for a licence, he said, and comply with a set of rules when moving into the building.
Labour councillor Julie Cattell said that it looked as though the new regime would be “well managed”, adding: “I do feel that we need to be considering accommodation for people who have had less than a good start in life and do need extra support.
“These sort of HMOs and facilities are helping those people to move on and make life better for themselves. I feel sad there is a general expectation they will be causing harm to the area.”
The committee voted in favour of the plan except for Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey.
The number of these facilities has caused hug harm to every area they are located in. Western Road is a tip wih junkies begging, fighting or dealing in public view. Enough is enough. Get them out of Brighton unless they have been here 20 years.
I live just off western road and have never seen any fighting or dealing,
The beggars I do see just sit on the side of the pavement and are always polite.
That’s illegal, Sarah.
Brighton is turning into one big doss house. Glad we got out when we did.
As soon as one of these places moved to my neighbourhood in Hangleton the break ins happened.
Within a week my neighbours car was pinched, next door but one was broken into in the middle of the night, then I witnessed a man and women breaking into an elderly neighbours house in the middle of the day while she was in.
To top it off one of the new residents took to begging outside the local shop.
Good luck!
“These sort of HMOs and facilities are helping those people to move on and make life better for themselves. I feel sad there is a general expectation they will be causing harm to the area.”
Which is what they are already doing, of course. She says she feels sad about it, but not half as sad as those poor residents who are suffering as a result of the ongoing anti-social behaviour, which will increase with such an extension. Perhaps Labour Councillor Julie Carell should try living in a similar area.
The property has previously been a 7 bedroom Student HMO and source of many problems. We are assured this will be different and we will notice an improvement by both St Mungo’s & Councillors.
Maybe residents living near to a St Mungo’s managed accommodation could let us know the area involved. This would enable neighbours of the property to independently assess how well their service management policies work and if ‘neighbours contact’ offer is robust, for the ongoing engagement confirmed during building works and the service being set up.
It had been agreed, at a meeting 15/06, St Mungo’s would provide this information however, we have had nothing to date for Brighton or elsewhere .
See Housings submission 28/6 Planning Application BH2023/00469 and it seems funds had already been allocated for this property or maybe i misheard that bit.
This is not about St Mungo’s clients it is about St Mungo’s and B&H CC and how from start to finish it has made me feel it was a token process & fait accompli.
I believe that the whole planning process needs to be shaken up and for the public to have a fairer system regarding objections and rights of appeal.
Instead move these accommodations next door to the councillor’s houses in Lewes. The we can all call them heartless bigots when they complain about the screaming abuse, needles and open drug dealing.
The property has previously been a 7 bedroom Student HMO and source of many problems. We are assured this will be completely different and even with the increase in occupancy we will notice an improvement by both St Mungo’s & Councillors.
This planning application was, we were advised, only about increase from 7-8 HMO and not regarding Applicant or proposed occupants therefore, how a property is managed by St Mungo’s should not have been a material consideration anyway.
The increase in occupancy by 14%, on this occassion, of an HMO will surely give equivalent rise in impact to neighbours however, council do not deem this to be significant and I would beg to disagree.
Maybe if we could see for ourselves how well their service management policies work and if ‘neighbours contact’ offer is robust we could actually look forward to this property having less impact than to date.
It was agreed, at a meeting 15/06, St Mungo’s would provide details to enable us to do this however, we have had nothing.
This is not about St Mungo’s clients it is about St Mungo’s and B&H CC and how from start to finish it has made me feel it has been a token process & fait accompli. See Housings letter 28/6 on planning register, BH2023/00469, and mention funds already being allocated for this property at Committee (or maybe i misheard that bit).
I believe that the whole planning process needs to be shaken up and for the public to have a fairer system regarding objections and rights of appeal.
Do not trust St Mungos one iota. Badly managed, do not deliver on promises, and show contempt for neighbours impacted by their “projects”. Dismal history in this city.