Man Reapplies to Convert House in Newport into HMO for Seven People

A man will hope it is second time lucky for his attempts to turn a house in central Newport into a HMO.
Council planners rejected Ali Alzahid’s original application for an eight-bed HMO in June 2023 amid concerns over designs, parking, and a proposed rear extension.
Now, Mr Alzahid has reapplied to convert the two-bedroom home at 1 Albert Terrace into a HMO (house in multiple occupation) for seven people.
HMOs are typically lived in by individual adults with their own bedrooms, but with other communal facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.
The subject of the new application is an end-of-terrace house next to a footbridge and what was formerly the Engineers Arms pub.
Mr Alzahid’s new application is endorsed by planning consultant Gwilym Powys Jones, who in a planning statement said he believed “several of the matters raised by the council [when rejecting the original application] were capable of being addressed by a redesign and the submission of further information”.
The new application is for a seven-bedroom HMO with a smaller, one-storey extension at the rear. The original HMO plan rejected by the city council had been for an eight-bedroom HMO with a two-storey rear extension.
Plans for the new application show the lower ground floor would include a kitchen, dining area, living room, toilet, and access to a bike storage area in the rear garden.
On the ground floor, the applicant has proposed three en-suite bedrooms.
A further two en-suite bedrooms would be located on the first floor, and the remaining two bedrooms – also en-suites – would be in the loft.
The plans are currently out for public consultation, and have so far attracted one response, from a neighbour who raised concerns about the HMO’s impact on parking in Albert Terrace.
The application can be viewed on the Newport City Council website under reference 23/1124. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​