A bed and breakfast hotel on Margate seafront that sold at auction for £480,000 last September will be turned into a 13 bedroom HMO (house of multiple occupation).
Four-storey Somerville Hotel at 9 Canterbury Road (Westbrook) will have 12 rooms with one of those large enough for two people and the rest suitable for single tenants, plus a shared living room and two shared kitchens and three rooms with kitchen facilities contained.
Five letters of objection were lodged with the council raising concerns including an increase in population density, noise and disturbance, increased demand for parking, loss of tourist accommodation and an increase in antisocial behaviour.
One objection comes from a landlord of a neighbouring property who says their tenant read the news “with horror” adding: “As a seaside town and the Somerville being a hotel, that has to be more beneficial to the town than a house of multiple occupation and all the problems it can bring.”
In response to concerns applicant Dean Smith responded: “This application will take a run down hotel (which doesn’t trade all year round) and will provide 13 well needed homes to the local area.
“There is plenty of parking on Canterbury Rd, Station Rd and Albert Rd, there is also available parking at Margate train station if needed. There are well located public transportation links such as bus routes, trains and cycle options very close to the property.
“We have found being experienced HMO landlords locally that a high percentage of individuals that rent a HMO room don’t have a vehicle.
“I also don’t see how the change of use from a hotel to a residential demise will increase noise, in fact I would say the opposite as the proposals are for single occupant rooms where as a commercial hotel would have catered for a higher footfall.
“There are already lots of HMO properties on this road including the next door property.
“There will be no negative change to the character of Station Road as there will be no external changes to the building. I feel the application will bring well needed life into this building and offer local residents more affordable housing options.”
The application was granted permission last week.
