Concern over plans to convert 3-bedroom home into 8-bedroom HMO
16/06/2025
The applicant already has permission for a number of changes to the building
A local Councillor has requested that Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee are the ones to decide if a 3-bedroom family home on the Warwick Road in Banbury can be converted into an 8-bedroom house of multiple occupation.
Normally decisions on smaller planning applications are delegated to the council’s planning officers, but Councillor Dr Chukwudi Okeke believes in this case, given the concerns of local people, elected members should discuss the case.
Last year the applicant, Kenneth Dalti, successfully applied to build an outbuilding in the rear garden of number 127 to form garden rooms and an ancillary annexe. Other applications to convert the garage into an extension of the property and a reconfiguring of the roof to create a second floor were also approved. The latest application takes the footprint of what has already been approved and creates 8 bedrooms across three floors.
Councillor Okeke, who represents Banbury Cross & Neithrop, has noted the concern of local people in the area.
He said: “Given that many residents raised objections to the development, I feel it is important that their concerns are considered in deciding this application, hence put a request for a call in so that the application will go through the planning committee.
“The property in question is located on Warwick Road, and one of the concerns raised by the residents is parking and traffic implications. One of the residents noted that the increased occupancy is expected to exacerbate existing parking pressures and contribute to congestion and road safety issues. Parking along that stretch of Warwick Road has always been a safety concern, and it was for this reason that my fellow Labour Councillors and I campaigned to have the speed limit of that stretch reduced from 30MPH to 20MPH.”
The public had until Saturday to submit their comments on the application, which is due to be decided in July.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
