May 15, 2014 12.36 pm This story is over 118 months old

Lincoln guest house blocked from turning into student flats

No students: The City of Lincoln Council stopped a guest house from being turned into shared student accommodation.
Carholme Guest House.

A Lincoln guest house has been declined the chance to become shared student accommodation after the City Council passed a clause forbidding it.

The owner of Carholme Guest House on Carholme Road, Paula Dew, planned to sell the house, while also applying for a change of use to a residential property.

The five-bedroom house could then be used to house either local residents or students in the area.

The property, which has been up for sale since 2008, even has a prospective buyer with a £228,000 deal.

However, at the planning committee meeting on May 14, councillors expressed concern over the number of student-based house shares in the West End of Lincoln.

According to a report from the planning manager, the student population in the area has risen significantly due to the university’s expansion.

However, this has led to a number of concerns in the area, relating to community imbalance, noise and disturbance late at night, plus the effect on the physical character and amenities of the area.

Due to these concerns, a number of proposals in the area relating to multiple occupancy homes have been rejected by inspectors, despite numerous appeals.

Additionally, both the applicant and the prospective buyer would not agree to sign a section 106 agreement to prevent the occupation of the premises by students.

Therefore, the committee agreed to approve Carholme Guest House’s request to change use from a hotel to a dwelling, but added a clause that it could not become a HMO, which was also supported by the West End Residents Association.