A house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Stevenage has been granted permission to double its number of bedrooms.

Currently, the property has four bedrooms, but this can now be expanded to eight bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms.

An HMO is a shared house occupied by individuals who share basic amenities but do not form a single household.

The owners of the house, in Buckthorn Avenue, have received permission from Stevenage Borough Council to demolish existing garages and construct extensions to the side and rear of the building.

Two garages can now be demolished, and four parking spaces created at the front of the property.

The plans received 17 comments from members of the public, all but one of which objected to them.

One of the consultees, Hertfordshire Highways, initially recommended that the application be refused due to a lack of scaled plans. These were later provided.

The Design and Access Statement that was submitted as part of the original application read: "Due to the demographics of HMO tenants - young people who do not tend to own cars and mostly use public transport, cycle or walk - and the location of the property  - within a short walking distance to public transport - we propose to follow green mobility trends.

"There is a secure bike shed in the rear yard, easily accessible from the main road - one bike space per occupant."

The initial plans submitted as part of the application included three parking spaces, with a further space since added to amended plans.