PLANS to convert a property into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) in a ‘neglected’ part of Warrington have been approved.

Government guidance states a home is an HMO if at least three tenants live in it to form more than one household and they share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities.

An application to convert the five-bed house – which is situated on Salisbury Street, off Manchester Road – into an HMO for nine occupants was approved by the development management committee on Wednesday.

The scheme also includes a cellar conversion and the installation of roof lights.

Council officers said the principle of the development was considered to be acceptable and that the impact on the highway would be acceptable.

Cllr Judith Wheeler (LD – Appleton) said: “I welcome this because Salisbury Street, the architecture is lovely, it is just very sadly neglected.

“I think any improvement is to be welcomed and sometimes you have the domino effect, once one house has been improved the rest follow.”

Cllr Joan Grime (LAB – Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft) welcomed the plans for all bedrooms to have en-suites.

“I think that is much more civilised than some of the applications we have actually seen, where there has just been one bathroom to share in a house of multiple occupation, which is not very good.”

The application was approved subject to conditions.

An HMO must have a licence if it is occupied by five or more people.