A SCHEME to reduce the number of houses of multiple occupancy in Bournemouth has taken a step forward after planners granted permission to change a 10-bed house into eight flats.

Developer Dave Wells of DWP Housing Partnership plans to convert 50 bedsits into flats and houses throughout the borough. On Monday, the company received permission to convert a property in Linwood Road, Charminster from a 10-bed HMO to eight individual flats.

Other conversions in the pipeline include an application to convert 18 bedsits in Norwich Avenue into 11 flats, changing 16 HMOs in Florence Road, Boscombe into 12 flats and building work is progressing well to convert six HMOs and garages in Cardigan Road, Winton into 26 family houses.

Steve Wells, managing director of DWP, said: “We’ve listened to public feedback around HMOs and the need to regenerate parts of Bournemouth.

“We share the view that reducing HMOs and creating private flats will make for better living environments, encouraging tenants to stay longer and become part of the community.”