Planning appeal decision
3 Riversdale Terrace, Sunderland, SR2 7NQ
Planning appeal 3370421 at 3 Riversdale Terrace, Sunderland, SR2 7NQ (Sunderland City Council) was dismissed on 22 December 2025 by Inspector Harding C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would lead to an over-concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the area.
conversion of C3 Dwellinghouse to 7 bed HMO
- Authority
- Sunderland City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Harding C
- Postcode
- SR2 7NQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would lead to an over-concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the area
- whether the proposal would provide an acceptable standard of accommodation for future occupants
- the effect of the proposal upon the living conditions of existing occupiers of nearby properties with particular reference to fear of crime and community cohesion
What decided it
The proposal would lead to an over-concentration of HMOs in the locality, breaching the 10% threshold set out in the SPD with no exceptional circumstances to justify the breach, thereby conflicting with Policy H6 of the CSDP.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy H6Policy BH1Policy SP7Policy HS1
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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