An application has been submitted to convert a house on Southgate Road into a large house in multiple occupation (HMO), changing its use from a standard dwelling into a 10-bed HMO. It says a 10-bedroom HMO on Southgate Road would house ten individual residents who would otherwise need to be accommodated elsewhere in the borough, and contends that the weight of this contribution in planning terms is “significant”. Drawing comparisons with an already approved 10-bedroom HMO on Oakmere Avenue, the applicant claims the Southgate Road proposal would offer “a materially better standard of accommodation” than that scheme. The planning application currently has 13 objections, reflecting continuing unease in Potters Bar about the growth of HMOs in residential streets and the potential impacts on parking, noise and neighbourhood character. To view this application, you can search the reference 26/0914/FUL on Hertsmere council's planning portal.