South Shields HMO gets green light despite public opposition - here's where it is

Plans for a new six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) in South Shields have been approved, despite dozens of public objections.

South Tyneside Council's planning department has approved an application for 26 Pollard Street which sought permission to change its use from a "dwellinghouse" to a six-bed, six-person HMO.

This included two bedrooms and a communal kitchen/dining area on the ground floor, along with an external cycle store , and four bedrooms across upper floors, with the majority of bedrooms benefiting from en-suites.

The application falls against a backdrop of South Tyneside Council’s decision last year (2025) to launch an “immediate” borough-wide Article 4 Direction removing permitted development rights for small HMOs, meaning that planning permission is now needed for all HMOs across the borough.

A design and access and planning statement submitted to council officials named the applicant for 26 Pollard Street as Lydford Living Rentals Limited, and noted the scheme "involves only internal alterations to reconfigure the accommodation".

It was argued that the proposal "represents an efficient and sustainable intensification of an existing dwelling" and that "subject to a robust management plan and mandatory HMO licensing, the development will not result in an over-concentration of HMOs or cause unacceptable impacts on neighbouring amenity, parking or highway safety."

During a council public consultation exercise on the plans there were 34 objections raising a range of concerns.

Concerns included impacts on the "character and balance of the residential area", increased noise and disturbance, parking pressures, "overdevelopment", waste management, the "cumulative impacts" of HMOs in the area and more.

However, South Tyneside Council's planning department deemed the HMO plan acceptable and approved it on July 10, 2026.

A council decision report said the "greatest weight" in deciding the HMO application needed to be given to national planning policyas opposed to local planning policy, given that the application "includes housing development and the council’s housing land supply/delivery deficiencies".

Council planners said the proposal would "provide social and economic gains by contributing to reducing the current shortfall in terms of housing supply and providing a form of affordable accommodation that meets an identified housing need".

It was also noted that "no significant harm or adverse impacts have been identified in respect of visual and residential amenity, biodiversity, highway safety, or in respect of crime/antisocial behaviour/fear of crime and flood risk/drainage".

The council decision report adds: "As such, there are no identified adverse impacts arising from the proposal that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits associated with the development.

"The proposal would represent an acceptable form of development with the presumption in favour of sustainable development being applicable in this instance."

For more information, visit South Tyneside Council's planning portal website and search for reference 260167.