- Decision
- allowed, 4 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Nick Davies
- Authority
- Plymouth (South West)
- Appeal reference
- 6007122
- Application reference
- 25/01695/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Change of use of 6-person C4 HMO to 9-person sui generis HMO, bike and bin store
- Site context
- inside settlement, near station
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- s38(6)
- Development plan policies
- Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan 2014-2034 DEV1, DEV10, DEV29, JLP SPD 2020
- Main issues
- parking and highway safety; outdoor amenity space
Summary
Enlarging a Plymouth HMO from 6 to 9 occupants. Allowed. The inspector's own parking observation and the site's accessibility met the flexible SPD parking guide, and nearby parks made up for a small yard. Parties were consulted on the 2026 Framework, but the reasoning is entirely plan and SPD-led.
What made the difference
SPD standards that are expressly flexible, plus site-visit evidence of spare kerbside capacity (DL ¶7) and the council's own precedents (DL ¶11).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEV29 / DEV10 (JLP) | accord | SPD parking guide (1 per 2 bedspaces) applied flexibly; inspector saw ~10 free kerbside spaces within 100m; bus stops and station within 300m (DL 5-9) | |
| DEV10 (JLP) outdoor space | accord | yard ~half the SPD 135 sq m, but parks within 250-300m and council precedents for flexibility (DL 10-13) |
Key facts
- No off-street parking; three extra occupants
- Parties consulted on the 2026 Framework (DL 2); no Framework policy cited in reasons
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.