A NEW house in multiple occupation has been approved despite vigorous opposition from neighbours.

Springbourne residents told Bournemouth planning board the plans by Temple Seven Group Ltd for 7 South Road would lead to noise and antisocial behaviour and exacerbate existing parking problems in the narrow street, and their concerns were backed by ward councillor Michael Filer.

"We have had experience of HMOs. We have had a cannabis factory, we have had crime, we have had a lot of police contact through antisocial behaviour," one resident said.

"The highest area for HMOs in the borough is Boscombe with 23 per cent followed by Springbourne with 17 per cent, with consequences related to the tragic deterioration of Boscombe which should be a beautiful area."

At the meeting on Monday, Cllr Filer said comings and goings from the building, which will have four bedrooms, would cause noise misery for neighbours and traffic congestion.

"I have had parking problems raised by residents over all the years that I have represented the ward," he said.

"We have had assurances before in Springbourne. We might have the authority to say what we would like to happen but we don't have the teeth."

However, board members were advised that change of used from 'dwellinghouse' to such a small HMO would not normally require planning permission, and the scheme had only come before the council due to its regulation restricting the proportion of HMOs within 100m of an application site to 10 per cent of housing stock.

Council officers said the proportion in this case was just 3.2 per cent.

Cllr Simon Bull said: "We have taken on board the issues with parking and residents' concerns but unfortunately our hands are tied. There are less than 10 per cent HMOs in that area."

Planning chief Andrew England warned that perceptions about the number of HMOs in an area could be distorted by the presence of blocks of flats, which from the outside may look the same.

Members voted seven in favour and two against. Cllr Philip Stanley-Watts said "I disagree with the 10 per cent figure" and that he believed there was a "proliferation" of HMOs in the area.