Plans to build a large house in multiple occupation (HMO) above a taxi rank have been refused on safety and noise disturbance grounds.

An application to change two three-storey buildings on 143-145 Yorkshire Street into a taxi office and eight-bedroom HMO was submitted in December last year.

Planning permission had already been granted to change the use of the first floor of 145 Yorkshire Street into a taxi office.

However, the public have been unable to wait outside for a taxi due to parking restrictions outside the premises.

A fresh application was then submitted to lift the restriction, which would allow walk-in customers into the office and to wait outside on the street, as well as transform the first and second floors above the taxi rank into an eight-bed HMO.

While there were no dedicated car parking spaces proposed, a cycle storage facility was included in the plans which Oldham Council deemed suitable, given the town centre location.

However, the Council found the proposals to be inappropriate on a number of grounds and rejected the plans.

Firstly, the on-street parking and manoeuvring of cars from the taxi office with customers near the vicinity of a junction and major road was deemed "detrimental" to traffic flow and the safety of pedestrians.

The Highways Engineer raised concerns that the walk-in taxi booking office would increase on-street parking and congestion, leading to a rise in the risk of accidents.

It is also 'illegal' for taxi drivers to wait or park on the street outside.

When assessing the impact on adjoining properties, the site was found to be near a care home, though it was deemed neighbours and nearby residents would not be "unacceptably impacted" by the HMO.

The applicant did not specify the opening hours of the taxi office but, given its proximity to the town centre, the Council assumed it would be utilised late at night and early in the morning.

As a result, the Council determined that occupiers of the proposed HMO, and neighbouring properties, would be vulnerable to "unacceptable" levels of late night noise and disturbance caused by the coming and going of taxis and patrons to the office.

Only the HMO in the application was considered to be "satisfactory", though the plans have been rejected.

In the refusal dated February 13, the proposed development was found to overall contravene the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area.