A care home could officially become a 16-bed house of multiple occupancy (HMO) after a previous failed attempt.
Medway Council has received a part-retrospective application to turn the former Greenford Care Home on Nelson Road, Gillingham, into an HMO.
The building is currently already being used by students and professionals as accommodation, so the application is to formalise the arrangement, according to the documents submitted.
In February, Mr Kunle Awosanya made an HMO application but was refused at the end of March.
Planning officers said more was needed to justify the loss of a care home facility, including the building being proven to no longer be suitable for this use, and the design submitted would result in a too-cramped living arrangement for the 16 occupants.
The resubmitted plans would see an additional kitchen installed and expanded two bathrooms.
The ground floor would consist of seven bedrooms, two kitchens, three bathrooms, a living room and community room.
The first floor would be made up of nine bedrooms, two of which are en suite, and two bathrooms.
To overcome previous objections by officers about the loss of care home places, documents argue there is significant provision as within approximately 90 metres there are the Charing House Care Home and Park View Care Home, which occupy the old Gillingham borough council offices.
These provide a total of 132 bedrooms, which the applicant argues is sufficient for the area considering the difficulties there have been retaining the building as a care home.
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Greenford Care Home, which was owned by Purelake Greenford Ltd, received several ‘requires improvement’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports before deregistering with the regulator in August 2021.
Purelake Greenford Ltd dissolved in February 2023.
When Mr Awosanya first purchased the building in March 2022, he initially intended for it to be utilised as an assisted-living facility and gained permission from Medway Council in 2023 and registered with the CQC.
However, four attempts to tender care services with the authority in June 2023 and November 2024 were rejected.
