Planners to rule on 10-bed HMO in former Willenhall pub this week
Planners will be making a final decision on a proposal to convert a former Willenhall pub into a 10-bed House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Plans to convert the Falcon Inn on Gomer Street West have been recommended for approval by Walsall Council’s planning officers.
But councillors on the planning committee will meet on Thursday, January 15, to make the final decision.
The pub closed to the public in April 2022 and has since been subjected to flooding, fire, and metal thefts. It was sold at auction for £215,000 in 2024.
The property already has planning permission to become a 12-bedroom HMO, which expires in January 2027.
The latest application, submitted by Mr Satnam Sira, proposes to create two separate five bedroom facilities – one on the ground floor and one on the first floor.
The applicant has said if permission is not granted for the most recent application, it will carry out works in line with the existing permission.
The decision is being brought before members of the planning committee after a petition against the plans gathered 375 signatures.
Councillor Simran Cheema, who launched the petition, called the decision in on the grounds of inadequate parking, over saturation of HMOs in the town, and harm to nearby residents’ amenities.
She also asked that the application be given ‘more consideration’ than a recent nearby HMO application on New Road, which the planning committee approved within 16 seconds.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at 5.30pm, Thursday, January 15, at Walsall Council House.
