A contentious plan to double the size of an HMO in St John’s has been turned down by the council.

The extensions to the house in Windsor Avenue in Worcester would have created a six-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Planning officers at Worcester City Council have turned down the move by Tewkesbury-based Big Fish Properties saying the extension would be too big and would be ‘out of keeping’ with the rest of the street.

St John’s councillors Richard Udall and Robyn Norfolk both objected to the application saying the extension would not fit in with the rest of the street.

And the city council’s planning offices agreed saying the extension would be “overly dominant” and “excessive.”

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A report outlining the council’s objection said, while the extension would not cause any harm to neighbours and the existing HMO provided a “satisfactory” standard of accommodation, the “poorly designed and excessive” extension would result in “demonstrable visual harm” and would be an “overly dominant addition” to the street.

A total of 30 neighbours objected to the plan - including one resident who said that parking and congestion were already so bad that bin lorries struggled to weave through the overcrowded street.

In an objection, Robert Klubecz of Windsor Avenue, said parking in the area was “already catastrophic” and there was much concern four years ago when the plan to convert the home into an HMO was approved by the council.

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He said: “As the house offers parking at the front this is not a problem at the moment, however with a front extension, these parking spaces would no longer be available hence pushing all the cars of the residents – which bear in mind would increase from the current – onto the side of the road further congesting our little cul-de-sac.”

Mark Fletcher, also of Windsor Avenue, added to the objections saying he had witnessed the slow decline of the ‘family-feel’ of the street and parking was a “nightmare.”

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Helen Brettell, another resident of Windsor Avenue, lodged an objection saying the plan needed to provide the right amount of parking otherwise it would just add to congestion problems.

She said that refuse workers were already having to ask residents to move cars on bin day to be able to navigate their lorry through the jammed street.