AIBU to object to a large co-living dwvelopment near my home?

[Mathsdebator]

I live in the North East. The local paper published an article yesterday about someone applying to turn a shop near me into a "large co-living development' with 18 rooms and communal area. Aimed at young professionals apparently and they're denying it's a HMO.

It's obviously a HMO

There's no parking. The space is small. It's 3 minutes walk from a primary school. I've looked up the developers - they're based in London.

Would you object?

This is it exactly. Even with an extension I can't see 18 fitting. 18 extra people's rubbish, cars etc is insane on that tiny plot. I walked past today to go into town and just couldn't see how it's the right spot for it

I may be wrong - it may fit in 18 lovely young trainee solicitors/ teachers / doctors

But what if it doesn't, what if it does end up being what I suspect it will and crime rises, house prices drop etc?

Its a way of developers/landlords avoiding minimum space standards. It might work in London Where there is demand and a lack of space - but in other cities where rents are cheap there's no need for it. It creates a race to the bottom for rental housing.
I expect the people being so obtuse and wide eyed innocent about this on this thread - probably live nowhere near properties like these.

This is a local 17 bedder (for students), much closer to town, in the town in fact and seems to have repurposed a much larger building, looks like previously was office space.

A completely different beast

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/164174072#/?channel=STU_LET

It used to be a massive department store. Now an absolute shit hole!

This is a nicer area I think, although the rooms are not ensuite, but presumably a residential area and fairly subdued.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170173583#/?channel=STU_LET

They're both student areas. Totally different to this ans not what this is billed as.

There's a lot of local opposition now I've done some digging. Same company are trying to conversation a shop to a 17 bed hmo in South Shields apparently

You need proper reasons, Not just “what ifs” (no matter how valid they may be.
things like parking, extra traffic for the road, flooding concerns if they are creating hard standing over vegetation.
the building not being in keeping and over bearing. That sort of thing.

good luck, not all HMOs are equal, some are really poorly thought out, and some are beneficial to the area and housing market.

I love all the deliberately obtuse comments, when people know fine well that a not particularly affluent part of the NE isn’t going to have a market for boutiquey co-living spaces a la Lonon and Brighton.

@Mathsdebator I saw you’d posted on a local page tonight (not stalking you honestly!). Judging by the one in South Shields and this one, it looks like the developers look to buy up previously commercial properties and turn them in to multi-occupancy dwellings.

In South Yorkshire

I did wonder if someone might! 😎🙈

I have a friend who is a civil servant who has since bought a shared ownership 1 bed flat in yorkshire but previously was living in an en suite room and didnt drive..shared kitchen and living. In wolverhampton

My advice to him previously was to take full advantage of 300k stamp duty exemption and to buy something that could serve him long term.. now he has an overseas girlfriend and if they marry and she moves over, will need something bigger than a 1 bed and shared ownership isnt easy to sell.. honestly best thing for him would have been to live there for longer and buy only when he could afford a 2 bed. Think many young people now know this which is why most first time homes are houses rather than flats. I say this as a flat owner but i bought in london where i had to pay stamp duty anyway and still i got a 2 bed. V different in yorkshire.

@Mathsdebator lots of people. You save loads of money and they make it easier to budget as all the bills are usually included. Think young professional out of uni, doesn't want to live by themselves as it's boring.

Where exactly, what road?

You best bet is probably try and argue against the change of use from business to residential. That’s often a reason for refusing planning permission. Argue the area needs commercial properties, shops, etc.

Agreed but then OP seems to turn her nose up at the sort of person who wants to live in a fairly deprived part of the NE. She seems to want to live next to the young professionals while not living in an area that appeals to them at all.

What are you on about? It's not a massively deprived area. Cheaper end properties are really cheap - but that's because it's the north east.

Because I live in the North East you think I shouldn't turn my nose up at the criminals I know live in some of the hmo properties?

I'm not opposing poor people - I'm opposing violent people

By extending the building. (Took about 2 minutes to find on Google). You didn’t mentioned these are fully furnished properties developed by a ‘luxury’ co living company.

Ok, so I looked at the coliving company website. https://www.novacoliving.co.uk

it’s proper high end living. You’re not going to get it being used as a halfway house for violent ex criminals or drug addicts.

I honestly think it would be fine and if anything be good for the local area. More young professionals in an area improves the area. As developments Iike this increase you may get more facilities such as coffee shops, shops, etc.

Have you not noticed the massive university site at St Peter’s half a mile away ? Of course this is a student area , it’s also an area with a hospital a short walk away , an area with great transport links to Newcastle , a ten minute walk to the riverside development where the city hall and some huge employers have and will set up shop and close to sheepfolds where more development is planned.

Honestly I think this is sounding more like NIMBYism with every post and it’s a real shame people do this when there is a need for more single occupant quality housing and the injection of cash these bring to areas and local businesses

Thats quite hard to do isnt it though if the place couldnt be rented as a business?

I dont think theres anything wrong with the change of use to solely residential, OP says the top floors were flats anyway, its about the sheer numbers surely?

Co living is a real thing. It's having a moment just now. It is aimed at young people with money. They don't have cars. They all get a studio and then they have a big communal bit. they won't raise crime levels.

developers would t bother covering up an hmo as co living. They'd just build an hmo.

These developments are popping up in my area, and they are very popular. They have 'content creating rooms', social spaces, private rooms you can book for private use, gyms and so on. They are very expensive, not going to be attracting anyone on benefits (so no asylum seekers, which let's face it, is the issue here) and the lack of car parking space is called 'sustainable living'.

They look very nice, the difference I can see from looking at each of those locations on street view (and street view isnt up to date unfortunately to see the finished articles), that the properties in their portfolio at the moment didnt appear to require a massive extension, the properties were there already, as best I can gather.

Does any one know what the rent costs, website has very little detail

I dunno. There’s an abandoned pub in my village which has been rotting since before Covid and someone has bought it and planning for a residential property was turned down. Said it’s got to remain a business.