Powys councillors narrowly voted in favour of approving plans for a house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Ystradgynlais.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, September 3, councillors received new plans for the former St John Ambulance office on Derwen Road, in Ystradgynlais, by Mr J Black of Liphook in Hampshire.

Mr Black wants to turn the building into a six-bed HMO.

Planning officer Ellie Price recommended that councillors approve the application.

Locally, there has been overwhelming opposition to the proposal, which saw it “called in” before the committee by the county councillor for the area, Huw Williams (Labour – Abercraf and Ystradgynlais).

Cllr Williams pointed out that this is a “very quiet and vulnerable” area of Ystradgynlais, with families and elderly people living there and with sheltered housing and a day care centre nearby.

Cllr Williams said: “It’s completely out of character with the area and a frightening proposition to residents.”

He pointed out that Powys County Council is building 16 one-bedroom flats at Pen y Bryn, has bought 10 local houses and that more than 400 houses have been built in the area in the last few years, which includes allocations of social housing.

“There is no need for such a development,” said Cllr Williams.

Cllr Williams added that the police had raised “significant issues”, which would only be “exacerbated” by the proposal.

Senedd Member for the area, Iain McIntosh (Reform UK – Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd), also spoke against the scheme and expanded on the police concerns about the proposal.

Mr McIntosh said: “Members should give considerable weight to the response from Dyfed Powys Police.

“They have not lodged a formal objection, but what they have said should concern every member of the committee.

“They have identified this location as already being an anti-social behaviour hotspot and they have highlighted the risks associated with HMO occupants in relation to crime and disorder, nuisance parking and neighbourhood cohesion.

“Their comments should not be brushed aside.”

He urged the committee to refuse the application and, if not, defer a decision to allow councillors time to visit the site before making their minds up.

The committee focused their questions around the comments from the police.

Cllr Sian Cox (Liberal Democrat – Llangors) asked planning officers why they had batted aside conditions suggested by the police to place on any planning permission.

Ms Price said: “The conditions had been carefully assessed, some of them are protected by legislation and other requirements.”

She explained that Welsh Government planning guidelines had set out six tests that conditions need to satisfy in order to be placed on planning permission, and most had failed one of these tests.

Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson (Conservative – Meifod and Llangyniew) said that “powerful statements” had been made by both Cllr Williams and Mr McIntosh.

Cllr Wilkinson continued: “I don’t remember such a powerful and detailed statement by Dyfed-Powys Police coming before the Planning Committee before, and it’s not something I can easily ignore.”

Cllr Corinna Kenyon-Wade (Liberal Democrat – Knighton and Beguildy) spoke up for HMOs and recalled her own time living in one.

Cllr Kenyon-Wade said: “We all had professional jobs. I was living by a cathedral and one of the vergers was a colleague within this household.

“We were pretty uncontroversial, so they (HMOs) do provide a useful resource for all sorts of people.”

Cllr Karl Lewis (Reform UK – Llandinam and Dolfor) said: “We know where this is going.

“I respect Cllr Kenyon-Wade’s opinion on HMOs, but we are living in a very different environment now where we have illegal migrants coming across the Channel.

“I fear for the people of Ystradgynlais.”

Development management team leader Gemma James warned councillors to keep the discussion around the planning merits of the land use rather than the “potential for anybody who may occupy that unit”.

Eventually, the committee went to a vote, which saw seven councillors vote in favour of the application, four against and two abstain.