Plans to convert a County Durham café into a house in multiple occupations (HMO) have been withdrawn.

The proposal involved converting Consett Desserts on Victoria Road from a bakery into a five-bedroom HMO, but plans were halted after the application to Durham County Council was withdrawn on Thursday.

It comes a week after two HMOs were approved by the council in Durham city despite concerns from residents about the amount of this type of accommodation in the area.

The now-closed café would have lost 103.7 square metres of internal floorspace after conversion to a HMO.

Application details did not include any changes to vehicular or pedestrian access to the public highway, nor did it propose any new public roads or rights of way.

The site was not in a flood-risk area, and there were no concerns regarding the impact of the development on flooding.

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The proposal planned to provide five one-bedroom units, adhering to Durham County Council's standards for shared or bedsit-style HMOs.

This included the installation of fire-resistant doors, partitions providing 30 to 60 minutes of fire protection, and locks operable without a key from the inside.

Plans also incorporated bin stores in a communal area for waste collection, with arrangements for the separate collection of recyclable waste.

Refuse storage containers were to be placed on a hard standing within the curtilage of the property for easy access and removal.

The site was to connect to the main sewer system for the disposal of foul sewage.

There were provisions for surface water disposal through a sustainable drainage system.

All habitable rooms were required to have adequate glazing and natural ventilation, with fixed space heating capable of maintaining 18°C even in outdoor temperatures as low as -1°C.

The kitchen was required to provide a minimum of 2,000mm by 500mm of smooth worktop space, as well as adequate storage for dry goods and refrigerated food.