PLANS to change a former old peoples' home into a 12-bedroomed House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) have been submitted for council consideration.

If permission is given, the Victorian property on Albion Street in New Brighton would also feature off-street parking for two cars, a new landscaped patio area, cycle and bin stores.

The external staircase would be removed and a window installed in place of the door that currently leads onto the staircase. The garage would be converted into 'habitable accommodation' including a new door, window and roof.

Currently bricked-up basement windows in what was thought to have been used at one time as servant's quarters would be reinstated.

According to a statement submitted with the planning documents to Wirral Council, the property's day-to-day management of will be by the applicant Revilo Albion Ltd.

Its director is described as "a registered member of the National Residential Landlords Association and Property Ombudsman", with "extensive experience of managing a large portfolio of homes across the North West, including an eight-bedroomed HMO in Prenton and six-bedroom HMO in North Birkenhead".

The target market for residents for this property is described in the document as "professionals, very similar to the applicant's other HMOs where tenants are all are professionals including doctors, nurses, dentists, engineers etc".

The property was converted into and operated as an old peoples' home up until around 2022, when it began operating as a single family dwelling once more. It has been vacant since early last year.

The planning statement concluded: "The property has previously been used to accommodate up to 12 people as an old persons home, and as existing could feasibly accommodate up to 16 people without the need for planning permission.

"The property has already demonstrated recent real-world use by at least the number of occupiers proposed within this application, thus there would be little, if any impact to neighbouring amenity from the existing situation.

"This proposal would provide an exceptionally high standard of accommodation for future residents, and the ongoing management and maintenance of the property will be managed in-house by the applicant, who has extensive experience managing a large portfolio of properties across the North West, including two other HMOs nearby."

For more on the planning application, go to: https://online.wirral.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=229505