Former Welsh university building to be converted into a house of multiple occupation

Kieran Molloy, Local democracy reporter

A former Cardiff University office has been given the go-ahead to be converted into a nine-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO).

The building is called “vacant, redundant, and unprotected” in planning documents.

The scheme has been “designed to preserve the character and appearance of the surrounding area” of the property at 2 North Road, Cathays.

A “modest” single-storey rear extension and associated refuse and cycle storage are also proposed in the plans.

According to the application, lodged by Cardiff-based Reprise Property Ltd, there are no existing HMOs within a 50m radius and the “resulting HMO concentration” is therefore 0%.

The application reads: “The proposal does not contribute to over-concentration, does not harm community balance, and fully complies with HMO policy requirements.”

Plans boast nine “appropriately” sized en suite bedrooms as well as a high-quality internal layout “suitable for professional co-living”.

The officer’s report reads: “It is considered that the proposal would not be overbearing or generally un-neighbourly to justify concern for the local planning authority.”

It continues: “It is envisaged that the rear extension would not have any unreasonable overbearing or un-neighbourly impact upon number 4 North Road, having regard that it would adjoin an existing structure of greater projection at number 4.”

The property was previously used by the architectural school of Cardiff University.

It is not a listed building although “all original architectural features” are to be retained and, where appropriate, “enhanced”.

No green infrastructure will be lost as a result of the development from either the conversion or the rear extension.

Security games are proposed to the back of the building to protect garden space as well as “improving resident safety and management without affecting visual amenity”.

Secure storage for ten bicycles is also proposed along with a canopy to protect the cycles from the weather

The application reads: “This application represents the sustainable reuse of a vacant and redundant building to deliver high-quality residential accommodation in a highly accessible location.”