A NEW proposal for a HMO in Newport has been approved by council planners, three months after they rejected similar plans for the same property.

The three-floor property at 136 Duckpool Road is split between a ground-level shop and two storeys of residential accommodation. There are now plans to turn those upstairs spaces into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for six people.

A similar application - also for a six-bed HMO - was refused in August when council planners said a lack of on-street parking would cause problems for neighbours.

"The proposals are... entirely reliant upon neighbouring residential streets to provide parking spaces and it has not been demonstrated that there is sufficient space on these streets to accommodate the additional parking demand arising from the proposed development," council officers said in August.

But in a new application for the same property, those concerns were not raised because the applicant had carried out a specialist parking survey, concluding there was "ample on-street parking capacity to accommodate the anticipated on-street parking associated with the development".

One resident objected to the new plans, council documents show.

"Being a resident living on Duckpool Road I can only object to yet another application for a property being converted into HMO," they said.

"The area is already over run by HMO properties. Should this application be approved then the committee will be responsible for adding to the decline of the area.

"This application will also be adding to the already high levels of anti social behaviour, drug abuse [and] dealing in the area.

"By adding yet another HMO to this road will also put even more strain on an area that has not got enough parking for existing residents."

But council officers said the plans would not lead to there being too many HMOs in the neighbourhood.

"It is not considered that the proposed change of use to a 6no bedroom house in multiple occupation would result in a demonstrable impact on the character of the area or the amenity of neighbouring occupiers," they said.

Newport City Council's planning committee accepted the officers' recommendations and granted the HMO application, subject to conditions.