Reform councillors and MP concerned over plans for 'mega HMO' in Skegness

The Reform MP and three Skegness area councillors visited Grosvenor Road recently after seeing a document on early plans to convert a former care home in the road.

Posting on his social media page, Tice wrote: “Meeting Skegness Reform councillors at site where there are rumours of a large mega HMO being plotted. We will campaign hard to stop it.”

Despite this, East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has emphasised no official planning application for a large-scale HMO has yet been submitted.

Coun Danny Brookes (Ingoldmells Rural) visited the site with the MP, and Couns Mark Dannatt and Jimmy Brookes. He said: “I had a copy of a pre-planning application put through my door anonymously. This is an application a developer pays the District Council for, to get advice on putting forth an official planning application.”

He said the pre-planning application was for a “41-room HMO on Grosvenor Road” – but added, despite Tice’s claims, that there was no mention of the type of tenants the potential accommodation would cater to.

"There are already 47 registered HMOs in Skegness,” he said. “We put in the Local Plan at Skegness Town Council that we wanted to restrict the number of HMOs, but it appears that East Lindsey District Council is ignoring that.”

“I rang the council’s planning department and they confirmed they had a pre-planning application sent in for an HMO there, but wouldn’t say any more as it was confidential.

“People aren’t as much concerned about who will be living in them, but more that there are just so many in Grosvenor Road already.”

Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for ELDC said: “There has been no formal submission to the council for the change of use of properties on Grosvenor Road. A potential developer contacted the council with a confidential request for advice, which has been provided, and any further action on whether to submit an application or not would now rest with that developer.”

They added: “We are not going to add to speculation on potential planning applications that have not been submitted. Should an application be received, it will be determined in strict accordance with the local and national planning policies and processes that every Local Planning Authority must adhere to, and with the opportunity for interested parties to submit their comments in the proper manner. We will not be commenting further on this story.”

The Standard contacted MR Tice for a comment, but has yet to receive a reply.