Home of multiple occupancy proposal for Meadow House rejected

Plans to turn part of a prominent city centre building into an HMO have been rejected.

AKG Property Group wanted permission to turn vacant offices into a flat on the ground floor of the B-listed Meadow House in Reform Street, formerly the headquarters of investment company Alliance Trust.

Their idea was to create a large open-plan living and kitchen area and four double bedrooms, with windows fronting on to Reform Street and the Howff graveyard.

This would have meant textured privacy glazing in three windows to stop passers-by looking in.

A city council planning officer said this would result in an “inactive frontage” which would be to the detriment of the vitality of the street as a shopping destination.

It would also impact on the occupants, who would not be able to look out from the main living area.

“The rear windows look directly on to a publicly accessible cemetery which directly abuts the application building.

“Therefore, there will also be restricted privacy and outlook from the rear of the proposed flat.

“It is therefore considered the application fails to provide a high quality of environment.”