A family home in Welling could be converted into a six-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) — with no dedicated parking spaces for its future residents.
Plans have been submitted to Bexley Council to turn 28 Wrotham Road from a conventional house into shared accommodation for up to six unrelated people.
What the plans show
Under the proposals, the property would contain six single-occupancy bedrooms ranging from 8.9 to 13 square metres, alongside a shared 32-square-metre kitchen, dining and living area — equivalent to around 5.3 square metres of communal space per person.
The existing garage would be converted into habitable accommodation, with its door replaced by a window. The rear garden would be kept for residents’ use, and a dedicated refuse and recycling store would be installed at the front.
But no dedicated car parking spaces are proposed for the six-person HMO. Planning documents acknowledge the property has a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 1a — a measure of how accessible a location is by public transport, which the applicant describes as low.
“Low-car approach”
The applicant says this has been considered and is proposing a “low-car approach”, including secure cycle storage for six bicycles — one space per resident. The existing driveway and vehicular access would remain, and the planning statement notes there is established on-street parking in the surrounding area.
“The proposal adopts a low-car approach and seeks to support alternative travel modes through the provision of secure cycle storage for all six residents,” the statement says.
Planning documents acknowledge that six residents could generate a “modest increase in comings and goings” compared with a single household, but argue the property would remain residential in use.
Bexley’s HMO rules
Planning permission is required because Bexley’s Article 4 Direction removed permitted development rights for converting conventional homes into small HMOs across the borough.
The application points to several other HMOs recently approved by Bexley Council, including a five-person HMO at 28 Park View Road in Welling (approved March 2026) and a six-person HMO at 29 Penn Lane in Bexley (approved September 2025).
However, the documents also reference a larger HMO proposal at 45 Hadlow Road in Welling which was refused in March 2026. The applicant argues this shows the council considers each proposal on its individual merits rather than imposing a blanket ban.
“The proposal is considered to represent a suitable and proportionate form of residential intensification and an efficient use of an existing dwelling,” the statement concludes.
Bexley Council is expected to make a decision no later than 26 October.
For more on housing in the capital, see our coverage of London’s rising rents and Wandsworth Council’s housing failings.
