The Sportsman, Darnall: Demolition work ordered by council as pub is converted into HMO without permission
Demolition work has been ordered after unauthorised extensions were built as part of the conversion of a Sheffield pub into a shared house.
In 2022, The Sportsman on Darnall Road, Darnall, closed its doors for the last time.
The building remained empty for a year, until plans were submitted to convert the property into a 19-bedroom HMO (house of multiple occupants).
The plans received numerous objections, mostly related to its proximity to a children’s park, though following consultation with Sheffield City Council a 16-bed plan did receive approval.
However, a report recently released by the council shows that the agreed upon changes were not followed through with when construction began.
The report reads: “Following the grant of planning permission the applicant proceeded to undertake works to the building. However these works materially departed from what was approved in terms of matters such as the design of the side extension, first floor emergency access provision, the arrangement and extent of external spaces, the number, location and size of windows provided, the internal floor layout and the provision of an outbuilding which was not shown on the approved plans.
“No planning conditions were discharged prior to the commencement of works despite conditions precedent being imposed (notably including in relation to land contamination issues).
“Consequently, the works were not authorised by the planning permission and, upon receipt of complaints, the council’s planning enforcement team contacted the developer to challenge the unauthorised works. Eventually works ceased with the development remaining at a point where it appears to have been substantially completed (but not furnished) but departing materially from the planning consent which was obtained, and therefore being unauthorised in planning terms.”
In February this year, developers behind the HMO applied for updated, retrospective permission in order to approve the unauthorised work, which includes details of the changed ‘cream render’ building finishes, and bird and bat boxes.
A visit to the site was planned, however ‘at this time council officers were refused entry to the premises to allow an inspection of the internal floorplan’, the report adds.
This application was refused in March, though developers once again applied for a chance to amend their errors.
The reports continues: “Prior to the serving of the enforcement notice the applicant asked for opportunity to attempt to address the various breaches through a further planning application. The local planning authority confirmed that this option was available to the applicant on a non-prejudicial basis to provide full opportunity to attempt to resolve the problems with the development before any enforcement action was initiated.
“A site meeting was also arranged to allow council officers to inspect the site together with the applicant’s architect with the purpose of a set of plans being produced which could be reasonably relied upon to be broadly correct. Unfortunately there remain significant unexplained discrepancies in the ‘as built’ development and the submitted plans.”
Ultimately, the planning officer advised that the plans be refused once again, with enforcement action taken to cease the building’s use as a HMO and demolish the unauthorised extension and outbuilding.
And yesterday (September 29), the planning board agreed, releasing an enforcement notice.
In their decision notice, they explained: “The development scheme does not provide a satisfactory standard of amenity for a 16-bedroom HMO, due to factors including the small size and sometimes awkward geometry of private rooms served off a limited set of communal facilities, as well as residents' access to good levels of natural light and ventilation in terms of window provision and their access to adequate private external amenity space.
“The submitted drawings are significantly inaccurate in relation to the depth and width of the side extension and its relationship with the existing side boundary wall, compromising the Local Planning Authority's ability to properly consider the proposal, in terms of understanding the actual scale and footprint of side extension proposed and its relationship with the existing side boundary wall and site boundary, as well as the feasibility of re-finishing the extension in brickwork as proposed.”
Owners now have 28 days to cease their operation as a HMO and begin work to demolish the unauthorised extensions, or make an appeal to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.