Former city centre hotel will become 109-bed HMO

Plans to turn a former hotel into a 109-bed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) have been approved.

Hull City Council's planning committee narrowly voted in favour of the application, by Knight Wood Portfolio, to convert the former Portland Hotel in Paragon Street at a meeting earlier.

The now approved plans will see the building repurposed into city centre residential units with a small kitchenette in each room.

Liberal Democrat councillor Terry Keal said: "If this application doesn't go through, what are we going to be left with? A building that's falling down, that's going to cost the council millions of pounds to shift. This is an ideal opportunity."

The plans, submitted earlier this year and initially for 122 beds, attracted opposition from three Labour ward councillors and Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy.

Humberside Police also initially objected to the plans, saying: "Some academic research does appear to find a proliferation of HMOs can in part increase the potential for violence due to the particular stresses and insecurities of living in low-quality, crowded accommodation, with shared facilities and little to no choice of co-habitees."

However, the objection was later withdrawn after further security details were discussed with the developer.

Letters from both councillor Daren Hale and Hardy were read aloud during the meeting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Hale's letter suggested HMO policies were never intended for such large developments, while Hardy had also previously backed a petition calling for the development to be rejected.

During the meeting, James Shepherd, director at Knight Wood Portfolio, addressed concerns about the site's potential use.

He told the committee: "We are aware there has been some concerns that the building will be used to house asylum seekers. I can confirm this development will be for local working professionals."

The committee voted in line with officers' recommendations for conditional approval by six votes to five. The payment of a £1,160 open space contribution was a condition of the approval.

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