A Bridgwater HMO has won permission to increase from six residents to eight, despite converting two communal rooms into bedrooms.
The Inspector found that the modest increase had to be assessed against the property’s lawful six-person HMO use, not against occupation as a conventional family home.
Inspector M Aqbal allowed appeal 6008553 at Taunton Road on 24th September 2026, overturning Somerset Council’s refusal. The permission limits occupation to eight residents.
Two extra bedrooms, but shared space remained
The proposal would turn two ground-floor communal rooms into bedrooms, giving eight bedrooms across three floors. All bedrooms would have en-suite facilities.
A shared kitchen, dining and sitting area would remain, together with external amenity space. The Inspector considered this a meaningful communal facility, rather than an arrangement which would effectively confine residents to their bedrooms for ordinary day-to-day living.
One bedroom would sit next to the communal area and staircase. That brought a greater likelihood of activity nearby, but the Inspector did not consider the effect unacceptable in the context of shared accommodation.
The accommodation was agreed to meet the applicable HMO licensing requirements. That informed the assessment, but it did not decide the planning appeal: licensing and planning remained separate controls.
Why the Bridgwater HMO’s six-person use mattered
The existing lawful Class C4 HMO already generated residents’ movements, visitors and shared activity. The proposal did not introduce those characteristics for the first time.
Discussing the increase to eight, Aqbal said: I do not consider that it would materially alter the character of the use
.
That was a conclusion about the scheme’s practical effects, not a declaration that moving above six occupiers needs no planning permission. Permission was being granted for the larger, sui generis HMO use.
The Inspector found no substantive evidence that the additional residents would cause unacceptable noise or disturbance to neighbours. Converting communal rooms into bedrooms would not necessarily make those parts of the property noisier, since the shared rooms could previously have accommodated several people together.
Concerns about losing a family dwelling also had to be judged against the lawful baseline. The property was already an HMO.
Parking secured, management conditions rejected
The rear access already served garages and the existing HMO. Shops, services and opportunities to walk or cycle also informed the assessment, and the evidence did not demonstrate unacceptable parking or highway effects from two extra residents.
The permission requires the approved parking to be provided before the enlarged HMO use begins and retained afterwards. Approved drawings also secure the layout, remaining communal accommodation and cycle and bin storage.
A management plan offered assurances about the property’s operation and complaints handling. The Inspector did not, however, turn those day-to-day management arrangements into a planning condition. They were not considered an appropriate land-use control meeting the condition tests.
Other suggested requirements were either unnecessary or already addressed by the approved plans. The resulting permission has four conditions, covering commencement, the drawings, parking and the eight-resident ceiling.
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