Smethwick HMO likened to 'battery farm’ could still go ahead

Sandwell Council’s planning committee rejected a move to open the 11-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) above Viney’s Opticians in Smethwick High Street last year amid a warning that allowing the shared accommodation was turning parts of the borough into slums.

Residents and local councillors said Smethwick High Street was already suffering from overflowing bins, fly-tipping, rats and other vermin and blocked drains from several takeaways along the busy route.

Despite the rejection, the HMO could still be allowed to go ahead after the decision was appealed to government planning inspectors, who have the power to overrule the council.

The plans were scaled down from initial proposals for a 20-bed HMO but were condemned by neighbours in Victoria Avenue, a small row of houses behind the Smethwick shops, who said it would make “everything 100 times worse".

The residents said only a four-space car park for potentially 22 residents in the HMO would “inevitably cause problems".

Councillor Ragih Muflihi, who represents the Soho and Victoria ward, said there were “massive issues with rodents” due to littering and overflowing bins from nearby takeaways and Victoria Avenue had been plagued by fly-tipping.

CouncillorMuflihi said the ongoing problems were the ‘hardest among his casework’ and it had taken years to finally make progress with cleaning up the area.

CouncillorBob Piper, who represents the nearby Abbey ward, said he was “appalled and shocked” the council’s planners had recommended approving the application ahead of the meeting.

He said the influx of HMOs, many of which had been approved by government planning inspectors against the wishes of Sandwell Council, were turning the borough’s high streets into slums.

“We wouldn’t put battery hens in places like this,” he said at the planning meeting last November. “There’s no common space, there’s nothing.

“The space available for storing waste is little bigger than a cupboard… it is appalling.

“We’re turning our high streets into slums… If you drive on to places as far as Bearwood, you’ll see, it’s turning into a slum.

“There are great piles of waste because the planning inspector has approved something like 60 of these [HMO] properties on Bearwood Road."