Former Italian restaurant in Oldham, the site of an 18-bed HMO

Another proposal for a multiple occupancy house (HMO) in Oldham has been approved on the site of a former town center restaurant.

The new development will be based on Greaves Street at the former home of The Old Bill, an Italian restaurant known for its police memorabilia.

The HMO is expected to have 18 single rooms, all of which will have washrooms and share two kitchen spaces.

The bedrooms will vary in size between 10.5m² and 15.3m² and will be spread over four floors, each of the bedrooms having an en-suite bathroom as well as a bed, desk and closet.

The current owner currently owns a small one bedroom apartment on the second floor.

The main kitchen will be based on the ground floor, with a space of 45.3 m² and will include cooking facilities and a dining area.

The second kitchen area will be a “light kitchen” based on the third floor and will allow those staying on the upper floors of the HMO to prepare hot drinks and snacks.

The approval of the plans comes despite some complaints from people who have invested in nearby properties.

A complainant, who said he owns the property adjacent to 39 Greaves Street, said he was concerned about waste management as the buildings share an inner rear courtyard which has no ‘obvious boundaries’.

They went on to say that the HMO is not “a good choice for the region” and “is not consistent” with its environment.

Other comments expressed concern that the HMO could create a vermin problem, as too many guests who do not live in Oldham would “not take responsibility for the rubbish”.

Another person wrote that they were concerned that the HMO might attract “transient” tenants instead of tenants interested in living there for longer periods of time.

A planning document says the location’s proximity to Metrolink and bus services will allow people to access different parts of the borough, while bicycle storage has also been approved.

The request was originally submitted on February 25 before being approved on Wednesday, June 1.

Plans will see no major changes to the exterior of the building, with three new windows to be installed at different levels, including the ground floor to help capture natural light.

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