Salford councillors have granted planning permission for an eight-person house in multiple occupation (HMO) on Mesne Lea Road, Walkden, despite receiving around 100 letters of objection from neighbours. The decision, taken on 16 July, has prompted local MP Yasmin Qureshi to question whether the impact on the area was properly assessed.
What was approved
The application, submitted by Heath Waterhouse, proposed converting a former family home into an HMO for up to eight residents. The internal layout described in the planning papers includes:
- Five en-suite bedrooms and a shared kitchen on the ground floor
- Three en-suite bedrooms on the first floor
- An existing outbuilding to be used for storage and cycle parking
- The garage to be repurposed as a small communal laundry room
Council planning officers recommended approval, concluding the proposal was "unlikely to have a significant impact on local highways" and that the nearby school building was sufficiently set back so as not to be affected by the HMO.
"This decision has caused real anger and anxiety among residents on Mesne Lea Road, and I share their concerns. One hundred objections is a clear sign that this development was not right for this location, particularly given its proximity to a primary school used by hundreds of families every single day,"
Ms Qureshi has told the council she is "demanding answers" about the decision and says she believes the implications for highway safety were not properly considered. Her intervention reflects wider unease among neighbours who cited parking, traffic and the effect on the character of the area in their objection letters.
Local concerns and council view
Objections submitted by residents argued that the street is a family-orientated area and that an increasing number of HMOs is changing its character. Concerns also centred on potential pressure on parking and the safety of children travelling to the nearby primary school.
By contrast, officers assessing the application judged that the HMO would not significantly worsen local highway conditions and that the school’s distance from the property meant it would not be directly affected.
Decision and next steps
The planning committee approved the application with conditions. Ms Qureshi has written to the council seeking an explanation of the decision-making process and whether all relevant considerations were properly weighted.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Mesne Lea Road, Walkden |
| Applicant | Heath Waterhouse |
| Provision | 8-person HMO (5 en-suite ground, 3 en-suite first floor) |
| Objections | ~100 letters from neighbours |
| Council decision | Approved by planning committee on 16 July (with conditions) |
For residents concerned about the decision, options may include requesting sight of the full committee minutes, seeking clarification from their ward councillors, or exploring whether there are grounds for an appeal or judicial review — steps that typically require legal advice and are dependent on planning law criteria.
As the MP pursues answers from the council, the case highlights the recurring tension in Salford between the need for housing and local worries about how changes in property use affect communities and local services.
