For a pleasant change the Trust has been able to welcome a recent planning application to alter the use of 49 Longbrook Street from a 6 bed HMO into three separate flats.
This listed property will require careful restoration to reflect its heritage value but we are delighted at the proposal to return its use to good quality residential housing for people wishing to make St James their home. Moreover, it is a step in the right direction of restoring a balanced and vibrant neighborhood consistent with the Exeter St James Neighbourhood Plan. The preamble to the Plan’s Community Policies states:
“a key aim of the plan is to ensure an appropriate balance between student resident and permanent resident population to ensure the long term sustainability of the community. This will be achieved by restricting further HMO development and encouraging an appropriate range of services and housing types to meet the needs of all sectors of the community.“
The Trust is pleased to support this application.