Planning permission refused for proposed HMO in Ballymena after strong local opposition

Planning permission was refused for a change of use for a property at Waveney Road, Ballymena

Planning permission for a proposed House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) in Ballymena has been refused following a closely contested vote at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Planning Committee.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held on Thursday 15 January 2025, where elected members voted five against and four in favour of the application, overturning a recommendation for approval from planning officers.

Details of the proposal

The application was submitted by Grovehill Property Investment, which names Ballymena United FC Chairman Chris Selwood among its directors, and sought a change of use for a four-bedroom dwelling to a five-bedroom, five-person HMO at 49 Waveney Road, Ballymena.

According to the planning documentation, no external alterations were proposed. Internal changes would have included the conversion of a ground floor living room into a bedroom with an ensuite, the addition of two ensuites to existing first-floor bedrooms, an extra shared bathroom for a second-floor occupant, and a further ensuite on the second floor.

The existing dwelling has an approximate external floor area of 155 square metres.

Significant opposition from residents

The proposal attracted substantial opposition from local residents, with 39 letters of objection recorded in the Planning Statement, compared with two letters of support.

The application was advertised in the local press, and neighbours were notified on 25 July 2025 and again on 11 December 2025. Many of the objections were submitted in a standardised format, raising a wide range of concerns.

These included fears that the development would alter the character of the area, lead to a loss of community cohesion, and result in the loss of a large family home.

Other objections cited insufficient parking and increased pressure on on-street spaces, traffic congestion and road safety issues, overdevelopment of the site, overcrowding, and concerns that some rooms would not meet acceptable size standards.

Residents also highlighted the potential for noise, anti-social behaviour, increased waste and rubbish, fire safety risks arising from intensification of use, pressure on water and sewage infrastructure, and the possible devaluation of neighbouring properties.

Some objectors raised concerns regarding the future occupants of the proposed HMO.

Committee decision and voting breakdown

Despite these objections, Planning Case Officer Sarah Cosgrove had recommended the application for approval. However, following debate, committee members voted to refuse permission.

Those voting against the proposal were:

• (DUP) Ald R Glover

• (DUP) Ald P Reid

• (DUP) Cllr A Smyth

• (TUV) Ald S McDonald

• (UUP) Cllr A Barr

Those voting in favour were:

• (Alliance) Ald R Logan

• (Alliance) Cllr A Skinner

• (DUP) Ald T Gordon

• (Sinn Féin) Cllr A Rae

It is understood that eyebrows were raised during proceedings when Mayor, UUP Councillor Jackson Minford, and Deputy Mayor, DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey, left the chamber minutes before the vote took place.

Relief for residents amid wider HMO concerns

For many residents of Waveney Road and the surrounding area, the refusal will come as a relief after months of uncertainty.

Across Northern Ireland, HMOs remain a deeply sensitive planning issue, particularly in settled residential streets where families fear incremental change to neighbourhood character.

Opponents of HMOs often point to the cumulative impacts of increased noise, parking pressures, transient occupancy and strain on local services, as well as the gradual erosion of long-established communities.

While HMOs play a role in meeting housing demand, especially for single people, students and low-income tenants, cases such as this highlight the tension between wider housing needs and the desire of residents to protect the stability and cohesion of their local area.

The narrow margin of the vote underlines how finely balanced such decisions can be, but for now, local residents have succeeded in preventing what they feared would be a significant and lasting change to their community.