APPROVAL has been granted to convert a Grade II listed building in Chester city centre into a five-bedroom house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

Councillors at the Cheshire West and Chester Council planning committee meeting clashed over accepting the proposal for the first and second floors of the property in Cuppin Street, with members initially coming close to rejecting the plan.

At the heart of the disagreement was the lack of parking provision provided by developers, with 5-bedroom HMOs expected to have two spaces..

Cllr Samantha Dixon, who represents the Chester City and The Garden Quarter ward, said at the meeting yesterday (September 29): “We have an unsustainable situation in the city centre which is going to get worse.

“We need to be realistic — these residents will expect to be able to park near to their home.”

Despite a complete lack of car parking spaces, developers had included five bicycles storage slots.

That’s why Cllr Charles Fifield saw the development as an opportunity to encourage healthier lifestyles.

He said: “By approving, we are encouraging the future residents to use bicycles rather than cars.”

The application had been amended from an earlier planning meeting, after initial proposals sought to include six bedrooms.

Work to convert the property on Cuppin Street into the multiple-occupancy home, can now begin with the condition that no more than five people will be permitted to reside there.