Plans for a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) in a Hartlepool street have been given the go-ahead despite concerns from the police and public.

Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning department has approved an application to change the use of 35 Mulgrave Road from a residential dwelling to a six-bedroom, six-person shared house.

The plans, from Hershenson Estates Ltd, proposed accommodation over three floors all with en-suite shower and toilet provision, a shared kitchen and dining room, a secure cycle store and bin store.

A supporting planning, design and access statement noted that HMOs “form an important component of housing supply, particularly for young professionals and key workers”.

The application noted that no on-site parking was proposed but argued that the proposal would “make efficient reuse of an existing building in a highly sustainable location within the built-up area of Hartlepool.”

Meanwhile, a management plan set out measures around occupier referencing, property management, complaint handling, antisocial behaviour and site security.

There were two public objections to the plans during a consultation, with concerns centred on potential noise and disturbance, the loss of a family-sized dwelling, the proposals harming the residential character of the area and the “cumulative concentration” of HMOs locally.

However, the comments were not enough to convince Hartlepool Borough Council’s planning department, which approved the HMO plan on November 5, 2026.

Council planners said the principle of development was acceptable and stressed the HMO would be for six bedrooms serving up to six occupants.

Although there were some concerns raised by Cleveland Police around the potential impacts of a new HMO in the area, council planners said the police objection was “principally based upon existing crime, disorder and vulnerability issues within the wider Victoria ward area rather than evidence demonstrating that the proposed six-person HMO would itself materially worsen those conditions”.

A council report added there would not be a “significant adverse impact” on the character and appearance of the area, neighbours, highway safety and parking and crime / the fear of crime as a result of the HMO plan.

For more information, visit the council’s planning portal website and search for reference H/2026/0263.

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