A group of homeowners have said they’d ‘never have bought’ their properties had they known about proposals to transform a hotel and wedding venue on a nearby street.
Residents in Maidstone, Kent, have been left dismayed after hearing plans to turn the Grange Moor Hotel into a large HMO.
Plans have been submitted to convert the venue into 42 co-living studio apartments, which could house up to 65 people.
Residents on surrounding roads say they are ‘devastated’, claiming an HMO of that size would impact parking and infrastructure as well as their house prices.
The deadline for comments passed on September 22 and amassed more than 300 objections. A decision will be made at a later date.
Kate Broom, 51, bought her house in the area in May, but she said she and her partner would never have moved there if she knew about the plans.
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She said: ‘We are absolutely devastated. This was our dream home.
‘It is already stressful parking; the roads are really busy. We haven’t been able to get a place at a GP surgery yet. This street can’t cope.
‘We definitely wouldn’t have bought this if we knew.’
The three-star Grange Moor Hotel was refurbished last year and rebranded as the Apartell.
However, it closed for good in December because of ‘major financial viability issues’, planning documents state.
People in the area say it was a community hub for dinners, business meetings, and overnight stays.
Jake King, 38, lives with his partner and their two young children and grew up in Maidstone.
‘Grange Moor has been there since I was a kid, so it has always been around. To see it repurposed is sad,’ he said.
The new plans include communal kitchens, workspaces, a gym, a community living area, a laundry room, communal gardens, and private parking with EV charging.
Jackie Farrington, 84, a former foster carer who has lived in the area for 45 years, said: ‘I am worried about parking and crime. We don’t know who is going to be in there. I think it will make the house value go down as well.
‘Every house that goes up for sale, they seem to make into an HMO around here. It was a lovely road, but it has really changed.’
Yvonne Whitehead, 78, says she is ‘absolutely horrified’.
‘It used to be a lovely hotel. I used to go there for nice dinners. My children got married there.’
Yvonne claims it is a town-wide issue and says there are a significant number of HMOs in Maidstone.
She added: ‘We know the infrastructure is not good enough for the people in Kent as it is.’
has contacted Maidstone Borough Council for comment.
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