Petition launched against 12-bedroom HMO in former Willenhall pub
A Willenhall South councillor has launched a petition against plans to convert a former pub into a 12-bedroom House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Councillor Simran Cheema has called on Walsall Council to refuse the plans to develop the Falcon Inn on Gomer Street West.
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 application for the Falcon Inn is the second of its kind to convert the two-storey building.
Walsall Council previously approved plans for a 12-bedroom HMO back in 2023.
The pub closed to the public in April 2022 and has since been subjected to flooding, fire, and metal thefts. Last year, it was sold at auction for £215,000.
The latest proposals, submitted by Mr Satnam Sira, detail each of the two floors having six single bedrooms, two shower rooms and one communal kitchen.
There is one laundry room on the ground floor and each bedroom has its own sink.
If approved, the tenants will have use of two car parking spaces between them.
Councillor Cheema said: “The proposed conversion of the former Falcon Inn pub into yet another HMO is a matter of deep concern for many local residents.
“There are ongoing issues around overcrowding, the over saturation of HMOs in the area, insufficient parking, and the unsuitability of this development given its close proximity to a nursery.
“I am therefore urging Walsall Council to reject this planning application and to give it far more thorough consideration than was afforded to the previous HMO application on New Road, which was approved in just 16 seconds.
“I would be extremely grateful if concerned residents could sign the petition. Let’s send a strong message to Walsall Council saying no more to HMOs in Willenhall.”
A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: “The council has received an application to convert the former Falcon Inn into a 12-bedroom house of multiple occupation.
“The application is currently under assessment, and a decision is expected on or before 20 October 2025.
“The assessment is following statutory procedures including consultation of neighbouring occupants and will include all material considerations in reaching a recommendation.”
Petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-12-bedroom-hmo-development-at-falcon-inn-willenhall
