PLANS for a new HMO (house in multiple occupation) in the Pill area of Newport have drawn stiff opposition from neighbours.

An application to convert a terraced house in Temple Street into a five-bedroomed HMO is currently being considered by Newport City Council, and is and open to public consultation.

Chief among their complaints are fears the neighbourhood already has "too many" HMOs and worries the new property will add to pressures on parking and services.

A HMO is a property lived in by three or more people who are not related and share facilities including a kitchen and a bathroom. They are most commonly occupied by students and young professionals.

In planning documents, the applicant said the property was "in an area which does not have a high concentration of HMOs".

The planned conversion would "make a positive contribution towards objectives of diversity within housing mix and balance in the local community", and would be targeted towards "students, young professionals, and lower income workers".

The applicant said the move to a HMO "will not create a significant amount of activity that could cause disturbance to the area and the residents living at the adjacent properties".

It is conceded a "change in living type may result a minor shift in behavioural patterns in the house", but the applicant said the "proposed occupancy by sharers, however, would have a similar impact to that of a family group".

But since the plans were lodged, residents in nearby properties have voiced concerns.

So far, 38 letters of objection have been filed with council planners, with many people saying Pill already has too many HMOs.

Several objectors called for council planners to instead prioritise "family homes" for the community.

Others asked "why always Pill?" when it came to HMO proposals.

"Why can’t they use another area of Newport for a change?" another Pill resident asked.

There are practical concerns the terraced home is unsuitable for a five-bedroomed property.

"A small residential property such as this is only really suitable for a family," one objector said. "This is not what should be encouraged in Pill and is definitely not what is needed."

"These properties were not built to house this type of occupancy," another local said.

Several people raised concerns about problems, they said, were associated with HMOs.

"It’s about time the council started to think about the people who already live here and what we need," one resident said. "We need help to stop the unsocial behaviour and fly tipping. [A] HMO is likely to add to this, not ease it."

Others raised questions about the pressure a new HMO would put on street space and waste collections.

One person said there was "not enough" parking nearby, while another said parking in Temple Street was a "nightmare".

That same person also feared the HMO would generate "extra rubbish" and added: "There's just not the infrastructure for this."

For more information about the application, the plans are available to view on the Newport City Council website under planning reference 22/0656.