Sandwell Council rejects new flats plan for former West Bromwich pub over major issue

A plan to add more rooms to an HMO in a former pub in West Bromwich has been rejected by the council. The move which would have seen eight new rooms replace the old lounge and bar of the half-empty former Hargate Arms pub in West Bromwich has been rejected by planners at Sandwell Council.

The council said the conversion would result in a “poor standard of accommodation”, with future tenants forced into cramped rooms. The application does not include enough space for cars, the council added.

Highways officers said plans for the pub’s old car park, which included 13 spaces, did not include enough space for cars to turn. “Adequate provision has not been made for parking vehicles within the area and off the highway,” the council said. The function room on the first floor of the old watering hole has already been converted into an eight-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO) after it closed to drinkers in 2016.

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The tiny rooms, which also include a kitchenette and bathroom, measure just eight to 12 square meters. Under the latest proposal, two of the existing cell-like rooms on the former pub’s first floor would also have been converted into a communal lounge and kitchen. Six rooms would remain unchanged.

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A statement included in Jatinder Singh’s application said each room would include “ample” space. “The accommodation would provide an adequate standard of accommodation, with room sizes meeting council standards, including ample room sizes, outlook, private shower rooms and living and cooking facilities, as well as light and accessibility,” it said.

“The proposed HMO flats are located in an established residential area with very good accessibility and within walking distance of a number of shops, businesses and services,” the application also says. “The proximity of the nearby hospital creates a constant demand for affordable, flexible accommodation. The proposal will help meet this demand in a sustainable location and, given the existing use, the current proposal does not result in the loss of a residential dwelling, but rather re-uses vacant land.”