Research has been launched with Cheshire West, and Chester Council ( CWaC ) aid after Chester pupil accommodation seemed on a lodge booking website.
The Towpath in Chester is to be ordered on Booking.Com – despite planning permission for an exchange of use to the assets no longer yet approved.
Residents of close by flats Tower Wharf in Chester, near to Telford’s Warehouse, were dubious approximately the utility once they obtained planning to be aware from the council.
The be aware presented them the chance to reply to an application for a temporary change of use from pupil accommodation to an aggregate of short term lettings/hostel and student lodging between July 1 and August 31.
Eagle-eyed recipients soon realized that the letter had sincerely been despatched on July 16 – with a request for feedback to be submitted using August 6.
With purple flags raised, citizens undertook a similar investigation, which revealed that The Towpath was already marketed on Booking.Com and changed into accepting reservations.
The website states that The Towpath has been ‘welcoming visitors’ seeing that July 4 this yr.
This is no matter the planning application for the trade of use to the room, nonetheless looking for approval.
On Monday, July 22, CheshireLive became capable of view and reserve a room at The Towpath in Chester for a spread of dates to accommodate several special sized businesses.
Prices ranged from £eighty one.60 for one room to £816 for 10 rooms for the precise dates we decided on.
At the time of the ebook, the student lodging remains able to be reserved on Booking.Com.
When asked if planning permission had been given to the task, a spokesman for CWaC stated: “Planning permission hasn’t been given.
“The making plans software changed into only verified on the tenth of July and no choice will be made before the quit of the consultation duration that is fifteenth August 2019.”
Following a question approximately the appearance of the scholar lodging on Booking.Com, the CWaC spokesman explained that the neighborhood authority had ended up aware of the commercial on Monday, July 22.
He stated: “The council has opened an enforcement case and maybe investigating the matter.
“If it is deemed that the temporary use as a hostel is having an unacceptable impact on neighboring homes, then the council will use its powers beneath the Town and Country Planning Act to make certain that the use cases.
““Any pastime that the candidates take previous to the issuing of making plans permission is absolutely at their own chance.
“If planning permission is not given, the employer might be answerable for coping with any unfulfilled bookings.”
The planning software turned into entered by way of Gerald Eve on behalf of PBSA The Towpath SARL.
CheshireLive has reached out to Gerald Eve for comment.
We have additionally contacted Booking.Com to invite approximately their coverage on properties marketed.
