Town Centre Estate Agents Could See Upper Floors Transformed into HMO...

127 York rd Hartlepool

The proposals would see yet another property in Hartlepool converted into a House of Multiple Occupation

16th Sep 2025

Plans have been submitted which could see yet another building in Hartlepool’s town centre converted into a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Stone Planning Services Ltd, acting on behalf of Mr. Damian Fell, has lodged an application to transform the upper floors of 127 York Road into a six-bedroom shared home.

According to the planning statement, the whole building is currently used as an estate agents. The ground floor serves customers, while the first and second floors are largely wasted space, mainly used for storage. The new proposals would change the use of these two floors from professional offices (Class E) to residential HMO use (Class C4).

If approved, the scheme would provide six individual bedrooms, two shared kitchens, and a communal living room. Crucially, no external alterations are planned, meaning the property’s frontage will stay the same on York Road. Residents would access the accommodation through a separate entrance already in place, while the estate agents would continue trading from the ground floor.

Nothing unusual to the proposals, applicants claim

The planning statement stresses that town centre HMOs are nothing unusual. While the development won’t offer private outdoor space, the property is close to several parks and recreational areas. Planners argue the scheme makes better use of underused upper floors and fits well with both local and national policy, pointing out that similar conversions have already been approved nearby.

For now, it remains to be seen whether any local councillors will raise objections to the proposals.