Plans to extend bungalow in quiet Dudley cul-de-sac sparks flood of objections amid HMO fears

Plans to add extend and add an extra floor a bungalow in a quiet cul-de-sac have sparked a flood of complaints from neighbours, with fears that the extended property could be used as a house of multiple occupancy.

The plans to add two extra bedrooms to the bungalow in Lydiates Close, Sedgley, have attracted 21 objections from residents who say it will have an overbearing impact on the character of the neighbourhood.

Plans have been submitted to Dudley Council to substantially extend the two-bed bungalow on the corner of Lydiates Close and Southerndown Road, to create a two-storey four-bedroom home with four bathrooms.

Concerns have also been expressed about plans for a 6ft 8in perimeter wall, with residents saying it will affect visibility for cars entering and leaving the cul-de-sac.

The plans have sparked objections from Lydiates Close itself, and also neighbouring Southerndown Road, Brownswall Road, Dumbleberry Avenue and Woodbank Road.

Catherine Sadler, who lives in Brownswall Road, said the development would spoil the neighbourhood.

“Lydiates is a lovely road with mostly elderly people,” she wrote in a letter to council planners.

“Not only will this bungalow stand out like a sore thumb, it will lower house prices, and create upset in the road during and after build.

“It sounds like an HMO, (bringing) undesirables with elderly, children, a school and playing field nearby.”

Mrs Sadler added that one resident had been refused permission when applying to install a dormer window.”

Resident Jann Cartwright said the proposed property would be ‘considerably larger than any other bungalow in Lydiates Close, and therefore totally out of character with all properties in the close’.

She added: “Lydiates Close is a very supportive community, and high garden walls and gates would change the atmosphere of the immediate area.”

Gerald Love, who lives next door to the property, said the extension would infringe on his privacy, particularly in the garden. He said the taller building would overshadow his home and lead to a possible loss of light.

“It will impact the character of the area due to the scale of the building as most of the properties around Lydiates and Southerndown Road are two- or three-bedroom bungalows.

Emily and Peter Deakin, whose house in Brownswall Road backs directly onto the property, said: “This is not a minor loft conversion or a small subordinate alteration.

“The plans show front, side and rear extensions, a major enlargement and alteration of the roof, two substantial rear dormers, new upper-floor accommodation, and an increase from two bedrooms to four.

“Taken together, the works would fundamentally change both the appearance and residential impact of the existing property.”

In a letter to planning officers, they said the proposed windows would face towards their bedroom, dining and living area and back garden.

“This would cause a significant and permanent reduction in the privacy currently enjoyed within our home and garden,” they said.

Adam Greenfield, of Woodbank Road, said the development would be out of keeping with its surroundings.

“The site lies within a small cul-de-sac of predominantly single-storey bungalows dating from the 1950s, characterised by modestly scaled dwellings, low development, generous spacing and a quiet residential environment,” he said.

“The scale of accommodation proposed significantly exceeds that typically found within the locality and raises concenrs regarding the potential for intensified occupation.”

The proposals will now be considered by Dudley Council’s planning department.