Plans to ‘cram’ 11 new homes into ‘every square inch’ of a vacant former bank have been criticised by councillors. Manchester-based Lower Estates Ltd wants to convert the old Barclays branch, in Edgeley, Stockport, into an HMO, or ‘house in multiple occupation’.
Proposals for the Castle Street property include 11 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry - while the basement could potentially be converted for recreational use, such as a cinema or games room. An officer’s report says the room sizes comply with the council’s standards and would provide future occupants with a ‘satisfactory standard of living’.
But members of the authority’s Central Area Committee expressed serious concerns over the scheme when they met to discuss the proposals.
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