Plans submitted to convert former disgraced care home in Northampton into huge HMO for 31 people

The proposals, submitted by applicant Dunclent Properties, aim to convert the former Leys care home in Booth Rise, Boothville, into a large HMO.

On the ground floor, the proposal includes 29 HMO rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, along with five kitchens, a communal dining and lounge area, and an entrance hall.

The first floor would have two further HMO rooms with en-suites, as well as additional storage space.

The planning statement says the site was purchased recently. At the time, the care home was run by a social housing operator who struggled to attract referrals from the local authority. To ease cashflow, the property was advertised as an HMO. The application is now seeking to regularise the unauthorised use. At the time of the application submission (December), 12 people are living in the HMO, and the planning statement says there have been no complaints from neighbours.

In terms of car parking, the application says the current lawful use as a care home generates a parking demand for 19 spaces, whereas the HMO would trigger a demand for 31 spaces.

The planning statement says: “It is widely acknowledged that car ownership of persons living in multiple occupation is typically lower and it is reasonable to expect that not all of the future occupiers would own/access to a private motor vehicle.”

The application adds that the HMO would not result in an over-concentration of similar properties and that the development would be compatible with the character of the area.

The target decision date set by West Northamptonshire Council for the application is January 26, 2026.

The Leys, which closed around 2022, was run by St Martin's Residential Homes Ltd.

The home provided care for adults both over and under 65 years old and also offered support for residents living with dementia.

It was last inspected by the Care Quality Commission in June 2021 and was rated ‘inadequate’ following breaches related to fire safety, food storage, medicines management, and governance. Findings included fire and food risks, unexplained injuries, unchecked care plans, and limited activities for residents.