A crumbling former vape shop will be given a new lease of life after plans to convert the building into a HMO and new shops were approved despite neighbours saying the move would cause “bedlam.”

Sandwell Council’s planning committee approved work to convert the former shop in Bloomfield Road, Tipton into a nine-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) and three new shops.

A ruling on the planning application was delayed last month after concern neighbours told councillors the move would cause “bedlam.”

Last month, Sandwell Council’s planning committee voted to delay the decision to give councillors chance to visit the site.

At the meeting, residents in Bloomfield Road said they were worried the new HMO would ‘stop them from feeling safe in their homes.’

One objector said parking issues had been a constant problem when the vape shop was open – saying it was often “bedlam” on that section of the busy Bloomfield Road. 

“I want to still feel safe in the home that I have lived in for 25 years,” the Tipton resident told councillors. 

“I don’t want noise and anti-social behaviour and people parking outside my property.”

Councillors visited Bloomfield Road on Wednesday (November 27), with the application approved at the planning meeting later that day.

Cllr Richard Jeffcoat, independent councillor representing the Tipton Green ward, said he had spoken with both vocal objectors from October’s meeting.

“I don’t want to put words in her mouth but she did say to me that her objections were not to do with planning as such but she was concerned about a HMO in principle.”

Ahead of the meeting in October, worried neighbours said seven parking spaces would not be enough for a nine-bed HMO and three new shops. 

Objections were also raised over the HMO being “out of character” for the area which would also result in a loss of light and privacy and create noise and anti-social behaviour problems. 

Sandwell Council said it would restrict what businesses could open in the three new units – prohibiting a late-night takeaway from opening – and cutting potential opening hours to 6pm during the week and 4pm at weekends. 

A plan for a 10-bed HMO and new shops in Bloomfield Road was put forward last year but was then replaced with the 12-bed plan – which was then reduced to a nine-bed HMO after talks with the council.

Before becoming a vape shop, the Bloomfield Road building was home to the Moto X motorcycle shop.  A cannabis factory, thought to be worth around £500,000, was discovered by West Midlands Police at the shop following a raid in 2013. It was believed to have been among the biggest discovery of drugs by police in the region that year.

Sandwell Council approved a plan by Kevin Parkes from Coseley Properties to build four three-bed houses on the ‘eyesore’ land next to the proposed HMO in September.