- Decision
- dismissed, 17 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: P Eggleton
- Authority
- Barking and Dagenham (London)
- Appeal reference
- 6010107
- Application reference
- 26/00018/FULL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Change of use of 3-bed dwelling to C4 HMO
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- BDLP DMH5
- Development plan policies
- Barking and Dagenham Local Plan 2024 DMH5
- Main issues
- housing mix; living conditions; parking
Summary
Change of a three-bed family house to a small HMO was dismissed because it would lose a family dwelling, contrary to Local Plan policy DMH5. The third bedroom was also too small for an adult (DL ¶6, ¶14-16).
What made the difference
A recent (2024) local plan policy that expressly protects family homes from HMO conversion. The efficiency benefits could not outweigh it. The Framework is not cited.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HO5 | conflict | loss of a family-sized dwelling contrary to DMH5; Framework not cited (DL 6, 16) |
Key facts
- Small third bedroom inadequate for an adult occupant (DL 14)
- Letter does not mention the Framework
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.