PLANS for an eight-bedroom house which were refused two years ago have been refused again after residents said traffic problems have only got worse.

The application to convert the property in Bury New Road, which is currently shared accommodation with six bedrooms, was thrown out by councillors against the recommendations of town hall planners.

Whitefield residents said that the previous application for an eight-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) was refused because of parking problems and the possibility of dangerous manoeuvres on a nearby turning circle.

Karen Ingham, who spoke on behalf of the residents at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday, said the problem has only got worse since then.

She said: “If any emergency vehicle is required to get down, it would be very difficult for them to get down the lane. Only last night, I was in my vehicle and someone almost went into the back of me.

“A number of residents feel strongly about this because we’ve already got two HMOs. We realise we need HMOs and we are not averse to HMOs. But this is not the place for an HMO.”

Planning agent Paul Sedgwick said that town hall did not have any concerns about the impact of the development on highway safety.

He said: “I think the applicant has done a really good job in preparing these houses and making it an attractive feature of the street scene.”

Planning chief David Marno defended the proposal saying that the property is in a "sustainable" location near to shops and bus stops, reducing the need for cars.

Highways officers said they would expect only one additional car to use the road as a result of the change.

Head of highways Dave Giblin told the committee that officers are less "anxious" about HMOs now than they were two years ago.

He said: “We were nervous about it from an engineering perspective. Since then, we have seen how these HMOs have operated and we have improved our knowledge of HMOs."

But councillors sided with the residents, disagreeing with highways officers' advice.

Cllr Tahir Rafiq said that if approved, the change could lead to eight cars being parked outside the property.

Cllr Jackie Harris: “We have just heard from residents who are living there, and they say that nothing has changed since the last application. In fact, they say things have got worse. I’m not against HMOs in principle, but we do have to think about the local residents."

The committee voted to refuse permission for the application.