Nation Cymru staff
Two councillors have addressed a Valleys community’s concerns over the increasing number of HMOs owned by people from outside the area by blaming the sale of council houses, and claiming a lot of their occupants “work in the NHS”.
Plans for a house of multiple occupation (HMO) have been revealed for a property in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent – owned by a developer who was accused of impacting tourism in Chepstow by purchasing a former backpackers there recently.
Chepstow-based Diego Spahiu of DS Group (Real Estate) Ltd has lodged a planning application to change the use of 103 Worcester Street from a C3 class use as a dwelling house to a “sui generis” classification.
The proposal includes making alterations inside the property but not to the outside – but the community has shared wide concerns over parking, anti-social behaviour from other existing HMOs in the town, and fears over who exactly the houses are intended for.
A Nation Cymru article was shared to Brynmawr Community Page on Facebook, with an anonymous poster sharing: “This got posted earlier but taken down for some reason. Plans for another house of multiple occupation (HMO) for 7 people in Brynmawr – owned by a developer from Chepstow.”
One commenter wrote beneath: “This is making a mark on Blaenau Gwent as our schools and surgeries are full enough as it is and they will not be paying council tax so it will be going up again.”
Another wrote: “Have the council considered the impact this could have on the long established business adjoining this proposed development ?
“The ladies that work very hard to run their business under extreme pressures brought on by a declining town I hope have a say in whether or not this proposed development goes ahead.”
Another poster shared the Abergavenny Chronicle’s report to Brynmawr and Nantyglo Past and Present, with one commenter there adding: “Both Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour want Wales to become a nation of sanctuary, just saying.”
NHS worker deflection
Two councillors weighed into the online scuffle – both choosing to lay the blame on the sale of council houses by Margaret Thatcher’s Tory Government, despite the Right to Buy scheme officially ending in Wales on January 26, 2019, and Labour taking hold of Westminster from 1997 to 2010 and again from 2024 onwards, and Labour holding power at the Senedd since its inception in 1999 until only this year.
Independent councillor, Wayne Hodgins wrote on Brynmawr Community Page: “We have a situation where any one can become homeless due to various reasons. Marriage break up, financial loss of a job which can lead to loss of your home and so on – so just stop and think
“The occupants of the buildings in question are not always the people who you are referring to, a lot work in NHS and various other sectors and yes they do contribute. Also some of the behaviour people refer to can happen at any estate or terrace street
“As councillors we can’t dictate the type of residents we want to live in our town or houses.
“The problem was triggered years ago when people excised (sic.) their right to buy council homes this created a shortage and various government failed to build more and this fuelled the demand for flats above shops.
He continued: “If you look at new housing sites being built, only a small percentage are for rent by social landlords.
“We got Tai calon building in various places which is helping. Then as councillors, when a new social housing development is announced there is kick from certain quarters saying similar things to what being said on here regarding the occupancy.
“And with a 3000 plus people wanting accommodation from BG it’s difficult to manage everyone’s expectations. And with the current policy regarding homelessness from Welsh Government.
“And nothing would give me greater pleasure to build a new estate and clear the housing list and allow people who are in one bed flats with a child, or even families overcrowded in two bed homes to have 3 bed homes.
“So hopefully with a new approach and with the understanding of the community we will tattle (sic.) the property crisis.”
Green calls for wealth and property taxes
Greens councillor Sonia Behr also chose to enter the heated conversation, adding: “When Thatcher introduced ‘right to buy’ to enable more people to own their own homes, she simultaneously forbade councils from building new social homes with the money they got from the sales.
“She was ideologically opposed to the state providing homes for anyone, just as she was ideologically opposed to any state ownership – hence the sell-off of all our utilities – remember the ‘tell Sid’ campaign?
“We are now reaping the results where everything is run for the profit of a few people who care nothing about contaminated water, housing shortages, underfunded schools and hospitals because nothing touches them. They have private healthcare, private schools, private jets, multiple homes, excellent tax avoiding accountants etc.”
She added: “Time to bring in wealth and property taxes, as well as looking at land ownership and inheritance including, and especially, the aristocracy.
“This is nothing to do with envy but simple social and economic justice. There’s no point having economic growth if there isn’t a redistribution of that growth.
“It’s appalling that people who work full time still have to claim benefits whilst the companies they work for make billions in profits including supermarkets, banks etc. Why are taxpayers funding this?
“Answers on a postcard.”
Application
Planning agent Giray Sahin of Sixth Art Architectural Design Studio explained the proposal in a planning statement.
Mr Sahin said: “Number 103 is an end-of-terrace property on the south side of Worcester Street at its corner with Glamorgan Street, close to Market Square in the centre of Brynmawr.
“The building is arranged over four levels: a lower ground floor opening onto a rear yard, ground floor, first floor and an attic floor within the roof.
“The corner ground floor unit, number 104 (Worcester Street), is a separate shop and does not form part of this application; the first floor of number 103 extends over it.”
Mr Sahin explained that the property was sold at auction in July, when it was described as a five-bedroom house with four reception rooms, a lower ground floor kitchen, utility rooms and WC, and two attic rooms.
Mr Sahin said: “It requires full refurbishment.
“The house will be converted into a house in multiple occupation for up to seven residents, each with a private bedroom, sharing a kitchen, dining room, lounge and bathroom facilities.”
The lower ground floor would have a kitchen, dining room, utility and storage room, as well as a toilet.
On the ground floor, there would be two bedrooms, both with an en-suite shower room, a reception room and a TV room as a shared living space.
On the first floor, there would be five bedrooms, two of which would have en-suite facilities, while there would also be a shared bathroom and separate shower room.
The attic would be kept for storage.
A possible issue with the proposal is that the property has no off-street parking, and none is proposed.
A covered cycle store for eight bicycles and a refuse and recycling store would be provided in the garden.
Mr Sahin said: “The site is within easy walking distance of the shops and services of Brynmawr town centre and of bus stops with services towards Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil, and is close to the A465 Heads of the Valleys road.
“The proposal brings a large, vacant house requiring full refurbishment back into use, providing accommodation for single people and smaller households in a highly accessible location close to the town centre, public transport and services.
“All bedrooms exceed the minimum room sizes applied to licensed HMOs in Wales, the smallest being 12.6 square metres.
“The house will require a mandatory HMO licence from Blaenau Gwent Council, as it has three or more storeys and five or more occupants, which will control amenity standards and management.”
A decision on the application is expected by November 26.
The post Councillors deflect from community’s HMO concerns by blaming Thatcher appeared first on Nation.Cymru.