Mr Pick was present and addressed the committee in support of the application.  He explained that the application was for 12 rooms and that the occupiers would be chosen in co-operation with the local authority and would not be likely to have access to a car.

Ward Members raised concerns over the lack of facilities and Health and Safety within the development, lack of provision made for recycling or a communal bin area and parking, and sought advice from the Environmental Health Team Leader on the numbers of occupiers  and standards and  also car-free arrangements.

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Lloyd and SECONDED by Cllr Quirk that the application be refused.

FOR:               Cllrs Baker, Cloke, Mrs Cohen, Mrs Hones, Hossack, Lloyd,                          McCheyne, Mynott, Quirk, Mrs Squirrell and Reed (11)

AGAINST:      (0)

ABSTAIN:      (0)

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY to refuse this application for the following reason:

1             The occupiers of and visitors to the proposed HMO would not be provided with any off-street parking and so would need to park on the street close to the HMO but, as there is already competition for on-street parking spaces, the existing parking pressures during the evenings and weekends would be exacerbated which would increase the risk of illegal parking and add unacceptably to the risk of harm to highway safety, contrary to the NPPF (Section 4) and Policies CP1 (criteria iv and v) and T2 of the Brentwood Replacement Local Plan.

2          The HMO, as proposed, could accommodate up to 23 residents. On            this basis, the proposed development would not provide an adequate         quality of life for the occupiers of the proposed HMO as a result of the             lack of private amenity space and external bin storage as well as the      limited internal space and facilities,  contrary to the NPPF (section 6)          and Policy CP1 (criterion ii) of the Brentwood Replacement Local Plan.