Plans to transform a former pub in Royton into a bedsit has been rejected after a backlash from residents.

Planning documents submitted in January this year proposed transforming the former Murphy's Bar/Blue Bell pub on Rochdale Road into a 10-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO).

The pub fell vacant and out of use in December last year.

The proposal, submitted by Eagle Property Ltd on behalf of Mr Bislm Hoxha, included demolishing areas on the ground and dividing its large open-plan bar area to make way for five bedrooms, two shower blocks and three toilets.

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For the first floor, the applicant sought to keep the pub's current three bedrooms and kitchen intact but wanted to split the lounge to make way for two additional bedrooms.

The family bathroom would have also been divided into two separate shower facilities.

However, the plan was met with as many as 35 scathing objections from residents - ranging from parking concerns and a potential increase in crime to noise and disturbance.

A planning officer visited the site and found that while the premises is situated in an ideal location within Royton town centre and bus routes, the officer considered the pub to be "important" for Oldham's local economy.

The report revealed the alehouse is a "valuable community facility" and that the proposed development would result in the loss of employment.

The officer highlighted no details had been provided "to suggest that the use as a public house or alternative employment use is no longer viable".

In addition, concerns were raised about the scale of the accommodation.

While there is a shared kitchen/dining room in the plans, there is no separate living room which means bedrooms have to be larger to mitigate the loss of space.

As a result, bedrooms one, two, eight and nine "fail to meet the minimum room sizes standards", the officer wrote, and the plan fails to show there would be "a reasonable standard of living for the occupants".

Only bedrooms four and 10 would contain space for two people - and bedroom one would have a window facing private amenity space which would lead to "insufficient levels of privacy for the occupier of this room".

However, the officer dismissed claims the HMO would pose a nuisance to neighbours, writing that there would be no overlooking to neighbouring properties and it wouldn't pose any more of a noise or disturbance risk than its prior use as a pub.

Similarly, the officer said there is "no evidence" that the HMO would present a rise in crime or anti-social behaviour.

The council rejected the proposal on Tuesday, March 19, finding the loss of a public house would not be appropriate for the borough while its four bedrooms fall below the "adequate standard of amenity".

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