Plans to transform a Walkden home into eight flats have been described as a ‘nightmare’ and an ‘overdevelopment’ by councillors as residents are asked to give their views.
The proposal, submitted to Salford City Council, would see a commercial property on Bolton Road transformed into an eight-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
The property, once converted, will be “targeted at university students and young professionals seeking higher-end accommodation.”
Walkden North councillors Sammie Bellamy and Jack Youd have objected to the proposals, with Cllr Youd describing the plans as an ‘overdevelopment’.
He also expressed concerns over the rise of HMOs within Salford. Salford City Council estimates that between 2017 to 2023, 1,254 new HMOs were established, which Cllr Youd argues is a wider symptom of the affordable housing crisis in Salford.
He said: “I think it’s a longer-term sort of broader issue in the country, in terms of the lack of affordable housing which gives rise to HMOs. Because people are seeking affordable accommodation and not being able to find it. It just made a market for HMOs.”
Councillor Bellamy echoed Youd’s concerns, describing the rise of HMOs as a “nightmare.” Councillors emphasised the impact of HMOs on local infrastructure, especially with traffic.
The planning application specifies that no additional parking spaces will be created for the HMO, despite the property’s capacity almost doubling, stating that they do not anticipate residents looking for shared accommodation to own cars, but can use the street if needed.
Cllr Youd believes the increase in residents could overwhelm the road it sits on, potentially interfering with traffic or deliveries.
Deluxe Kumal, who owns the convenience store across the street, disagreed with this mindset, arguing that the town could handle more residents and the traffic could cope. He said the HMO was unlikely to cause problems, and emphasised that more residents would benefit the local economy, bringing more potential customers to his shop.
Residents of Walkden shared their own objections when asked on Facebook for their thoughts on the proposal, with many concerns matching those of the councillors.
Claire Lynch focused on the impact on healthcare services, worried that overcrowding could stretch the already overwhelmed NHS even thinner. She said: “I don’t want another HMO as we already struggle for dentists and doctor’s appointments etc… It’s very expensive to run a whole house as a single person so I get that it helps those people, but we just don’t have enough NHS dentists etc to have so many HMOs.”
Amanda Jane criticised the overreliance on HMOs from property developers in Salford and the impact on working families. She said: “It’s the greed that has driven the housing crisis and remains the reason why so many families and working people cannot afford to rent let alone have any hope of being able to buy anytime soon. HMOs have always had a place but they shouldn’t be the only option and even these aren’t affordable for people on a minimum wage and nor are they suitable for families.”
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