Town centre spot earmarked for 10-bed HMO

Ambitious plans for a new four-storey HMO building in the rear yard of an existing property in a town centre have been submitted. TA Property Investments Ltd, owned by Ajay Kundra, wants to build a 10-bed house of multiple occupation to the rear of No 74 Week Street in Maidstone. One difficulty is that there is no vehicular access to the site, which is surrounded by other buildings, with the only access being a narrow pedestrian alleyway which runs into Union Street, alongside the American Star Nails Bar.

As a consequence, all deliveries of building materials will have to be made on-street and walked along the alleyway. A construction management plan submitted with the application confirms: “As there is no physical vehicular entrance to the site, there is no possibility of providing access onto the site for vehicles. “The site is accessed solely via a pedestrian entrance from Union Street, and will be secured with a pedestrian gate.



“All deliveries will take place on-street, with concrete mixed and large rigid vehicles required to turn into Church Street, before reversing back along Union Street to the site. “This movement will be undertaken with the support of a minimum of two trained banksmen.” There is some confusion in the plans submitted to Maidstone council, with some drawings showing a double-wide four-storey building with rooms on each side of a central staircase, while other diagrams show the building as being four-storeys on one side only, dropping down to three storeys.

In the first version, the building provides 10 one-bedroom flats, two kitchen/dining areas, an internal cycle storage area and a separate storeroom. In the second version, there are 10 flats, but only one kitchen/dining area and no storage room. No 74 Week Street, currently occupied by Merkur Slots, is not part of the proposal.

Although No 74 is an attractive building dating from 1888 and known as Lombard House, it is not listed. However, the site does sit adjacent to and partly within the Holy Trinity Conservation Area. The scheme involves the demolition of a shed on the site.

The site falls within High Street Ward which already has the highest number of HMOs in the borough. The borough council is currently consulting with the public on a new Supplementary Planning Document, with a policy to more strictly regulate the provision of HMOs. It is not yet in effect.

On the face of it, the proposal would contravene the new policy as it does not provide any parking for its residents. The public can give their views on the policy here. Meanwhile, in Penenden Heath Ward - the area with the third largest number of HMOs - the owner of an existing HMO has applied for a Lawful Development Certificate.

Cabrell Bartels-Ellis said that number 235 Boxley Road has been operating as a 10-bedroom HMO for over 40 years, apparently without the benefit of planning permission. Under current legislation, any HMO of seven bedrooms or more must seek planning permission. Despite that, the borough council has on at least two occasions granted the premises an HMO licence - on May 15, 2012, and on August 21, 2018.

Planning uses that have continued unchallenged for at least 10 years can have their status regularised by the issue of a Lawful Development Certificate. Mr Bartels-Elllis said his property had been operating as an HMO since May 7, 1983. Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.

Details of the WeekStreet/Union Street application can be found on the Maidstone council website under application number 25/501097. Details of the Boxley Road LDC application can be found under reference 25/501199..