- Decision
- dismissed, 7 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Laura Bartle
- Authority
- Tameside (North West)
- Appeal reference
- 6006049
- Application reference
- 25/00913/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Change of use of dwelling to 7-bed, 8-person sui generis HMO with rear dormer and new window
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- S4(1), DP3, P3
- Development plan policies
- Tameside UDP H10, T1, Places for Everyone JP-P1, JP-C6, JP-C8, Residential Design and Parking SPD RD11
- Main issues
- future occupier living conditions; neighbour noise; refuse storage; parking
Summary
Conversion of a semi-detached house in Hyde to a 7-bed, 8-person HMO. Dismissed. The communal space was inadequate for residents under DP3 and P3, and use of the front garden would harm the neighbours at No 310 through noise. Refuse storage was not shown to fit. Moderate housing and efficiency benefits were "substantially outweighed" under S4.
What made the difference
Meeting bedroom-size standards was not enough. The layout forced residents' social life into the front garden, next to a bedroom window and the neighbour's window (DL ¶¶11-12, 17). In the S4 balance, the benefits of HMO accommodation got only moderate weight (DL ¶32).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP3 | fail | significant | communal space too small and poorly configured for social interaction; main outdoor sitting area outside a ground-floor bedroom window (DL 9-15) |
| P3 | harm | significant | noise and disturbance from the front-garden amenity area and comings and goings affecting No 310 (DL 16-19) |
| TR4 | pass | no off-street parking; accessible location, no evidence of parking stress (DL 24-29) |
Key facts
- Revised layout drawing refused as an alternative proposal; appeal not to be used to evolve a scheme (DL 3-4)
- Refuse storage unproven; a condition cannot resolve a matter that goes to acceptability (DL 20-22)
- Parties invited to comment on the 2026 Framework (DL 5)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.