- Decision
- dismissed, 24 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Eleni Marshall
- Authority
- Coventry (West Midlands)
- Appeal reference
- 6011023
- Application reference
- PL/2026/0000340/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Change of use to 5-person C4 HMO with rear dormer and single-storey infill extension (Article 4 area)
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- Coventry HMO DPD HMO2
- Development plan policies
- Coventry Local Plan 2017 H11, H5, DE1, Coventry HMO DPD HMO2, HMO3, HMO4, Householder Design Guide SPD
- Main issues
- HMO concentration; neighbour amenity; design
Summary
A five-person HMO conversion with extensions in Coventry was dismissed. It breached the 10% HMO concentration cap, and the extensions caused loss of light and enclosure to neighbours (DL ¶7-8, ¶15).
What made the difference
The quantified concentration, uncontested by the appellant. The prior-approval fallback for a 6 m extension could not cover the infill element (DL ¶17).
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 | HMO concentration 11.4% within 100 m, above the 10% cap; sandwiching (DL 7-8) | |
| P3 | fail | extensions cause loss of light and enclosure to Nos 58 and 62; about 19 sq m amenity space; prior approval fallback given weight but not decisive (DL 11-17) |
Key facts
- Not re-consulted: new policies "do not substantially alter matters relating to the main issues" (DL 2)
- Prior approval (not required) for a 6 m extension treated as a fallback material consideration (DL 16-17)
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.