Watford house to be converted into flats as plans approved

Having rejected an application to convert it into two four-bedroom flats while also turning the property next door into an eight-bedroom HMO earlier this year, Watford Borough Council approved a plan solely for the flats yesterday (November 11).

It means the Holywell Road house, which was recently the subject of a successful application for an extension, can be operated as two separate four-bedroom properties.

According to case officers who visited in the summer, it was vacant at the time but may have previously been operated as a guest house.

Each flat would have six rooms and 108-square-metres of floorspace in total. The interior would be reconfigured to provide en-suites and create a different overall layout but the number of habitable rooms would not increase from designs of the extension.

• Two-bedroom Watford home to be turned into six-person HMO
• Granville Road house converted into HMO without permission
• Council blocks 'cramped' West Watford eight-bedroom HMO

The applicant said: “The scheme would offer a more efficient use of building and land.

“It is a reasonable response to the housing demand whilst designed to comfortably fit into its context, character and setting.”

The development must begin within three years of permission being granted.