At its meeting on 15 January 2026, Bridgwater Town Council’s Planning Committee considered a planning application proposing the conversion of 41 Taunton Road from a dwellinghouse into an 8‑bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Following cross‑party discussion and assessment, the Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that Somerset Council’s Area North Planning Committee refuse the application.
Cllr Tim Mander, Chair of the Planning Committee said,
“A previous application to convert this property to a 9‑bed HMO was refused last year, however the committee was not convinced that a reduction to an 8‑bed HMO overcame our previous reservations.
“We continue to have serious concerns regarding the proliferation of HMOs across Bridgwater, which is fundamentally changing the character of neighbourhoods.
“The committee therefore recommended refusing the application on the grounds of overdevelopment, the impact on neighbourhood character, and the fact that the designated parking area is served by a substandard unadopted access road unsuitable for accommodating extra vehicles.”
This recommendation reflects Bridgwater Town Council’s ongoing concerns about the rising number of HMOs within the town.
Recent examples include applications at 11 Church Street (November 2025) and the proposed conversion of a former care home into an 18-bed HMO (May 2025), where the Committee raised issues relating to overdevelopment, inadequate parking, traffic congestion, neighbourhood impact and the cumulative effect of multiple HMOs across Bridgwater.
Bridgwater Town Council’s recommendation will now be forwarded to Somerset Council’s Area North Planning Committee, which will make the final decision on the application.
