Residents have complained over drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and even violence from a number of neighbouring HMOs

Plans for another HMO on a major Birmingham road have been refused by the council after fury and objections from concerned residents. Many locals were already wanting to move from their Selly Park homes amid ongoing trouble from HMOs in the area.

They claimed their “nice, safe area” had been tarnished by anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and violence at neighbouring properties. News of the latest plan to turn a three bedroom property into a seven-bed HMO was met with fury amid worries it could end up being used as exempt accommodation.

The plans have now been refused by Birmingham City Council. Coun Jamie Scott, who expressed worries over its future use, said: “To update you, the planning application has now been refused by the council.”

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A 74-year-old resident living in adjoining Priory Avenue was among those to object the plans as she feared those moving into the HMO would park in their tiny street. Some decades ago, the area had felt safe, she said.

But the emergence of exempt accommodation and HMOs had sparked trouble in the Pershore Road area, and neighbouring streets, for several years, she said.

The resident told BirminghamLive : “It was a really safe, nice area. Unfortunately, we are now surrounded by HMOs. Other residents have said they want to move away. If I could I would move, I feel the same, I can’t be living around here now. The problem is the expense of moving though – and where do I go?”

“The area has been brought down already, rubbish everywhere on the main Pershore Road, drug dealing all the time. I live alone and I just feel very vulnerable when I come back at night.”

Another property in the street has already been changed into a HMO. Problems were said to have emerged soon after, with police “there all the time”, the resident said. The residents were moved out, but the now-rejected plans left people feeling history was repeating itself.

After lodging an objection at the beginning of February, Coun Scott had told BirminghamLive: “The main thing is making that distinction between an HMO and exempt, I think a lot of concern is with properties which look exactly the same as a HMO, but are actually support exempt accommodation, and one of the concerns in the objection will be around my concerns for future possible use of this property as an exempt property.

“The number of HMO and exempt properties in the area, parking and traffic, waste all have an impact and will form part of my objection.” BirminghamLive has contacted Birmingham City Council for a statement.