BOURNEMOUTH is fighting back against the “studentification” of Winton, with two new applications for student houses set to be refused.

Councillors are being recommended to reject two separate plans to convert family homes in Sedgley Road and Ensbury Park Road into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) at their planning board meeting this evening.

Both applications have sparked strong objections from local residents, who claim the growing number of student homes has ruined the character of the area.

And their views have been supported by planning officers, who say both areas have now reached “saturation point” and any further student houses could “tip the balance.”

Planning officer Emma Patchell said there was evidence that over 10 per cent of properties in both the Sedgley Road and Ensbury Park Road areas were already HMOs.

She said allowing any more would mean more occupants, more comings and goings and potentially more noise and disturbance.

Anson Westbrook, chair of the Winton Forum, said: “We are totally opposed to these applications and I would find it incredible if they were given planning permission. The existing situation is unsustainable and it just cannot continue.”

Lynne Harris, of Sedgley Road, is among the objectors. She wrote to the council to say: “I have lived in Sedgley Road for 26 years and during that time have seen it change from a residential area with a cross section from all walks of life to the present day living on a campus.

“Noise levels at night from parties, rubbish piled up in gardens, neglected properties, students using front gardens and pavements to urinate sadly has become the norm for residents here.”

And Paula Welch, also of Sedgley Road, said she and her husband had seen nearly every house sold turned into an HMO. “It seems that the council is happy to allow this area of Bournemouth to become an unofficial campus,” she said. “This road cannot take any more.”

Amongst those objecting to the Ensbury Park Road application is Lothar Wuttke, of Winton.

He said: “This area, in fact the whole of Winton, has reached saturation point several times over regarding student lets in mainly residential areas.”