Plans approved to turn Bury’s ‘historic’ Heaton House into 23-bed HMO flats

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A historic building close to Bury’s Gigg Lane stadium has been granted permission to be converted into several houses of multiple occupation (HMO flats). Heaton House, on Brierley Street, Fishpool, which was previously used as a Rathbone skills training centre, can now be transformed into six HMOs to house 23 people.

The building, 100 yards from the football ground, dates back to the late 1870s and is considered to be a non-designated heritage asset given its local importance as a historical building. Planning consent for a similar application was given the go-ahead four years ago but the proposals did not go ahead ‘due to the internal works not being in accord with the approved drawings’.

The plans by Heaton House (Bury) Ltd say the building is detached and two stories with office and classroom facilities.

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A planning report published by Bury Council, said: “Heaton House itself is an attractive red brick building, the front elevation being the more important with original features and a bay fronted window on the ground floor. The main entrance is via a set of steps at the front off Brierley Street.

“It is a non-designated heritage asset on the council’s draft local list. This application seeks to regularise works which have previously been carried out and proposes a change of use of the existing building to six HMOs comprising 23 bedrooms with single occupancy.

“The associated land at the rear would provide nine parking spaces, cycle storage and bin storage.”

One objection was received by Bury Council.

It said: “The volume of parked vehicles during a normal working week is horrendous. It can only get worse by converting this building into 23