House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) plans for a former Leicestershire care home could be approved this week as councillors look set to decide on the controversial proposals.

Lyndhurst Lodge care home, in Churchill Close, off Ashby's Burton Road, could become a 17-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO) in just a matter of hours, with council officers at North West Leicestershire District Council (NWDLC) recommending the scheme for approval.

If approved on Tuesday (March 10), the plan will see the building converted into one large HMO with seven bedrooms and two smaller HMOs with five bedrooms each.

In total, the site would provide 17 en-suite bedrooms, accommodating up to 17 people, and 17 parking spaces.

A HMO is a property rented to at least three tenants from more than one household who share basic amenities like a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet.

The applicant, Lyndhurst Ashby Ltd, said that the plan would allow the building, which has been vacant since September 2024, to become a "high-end boutique shared professional residence" for "young professionals".

Approval for the scheme looks likely despite residents raising major concerns over the plan.

More than 35 locals have opposed the plan, claiming it would "alter the social fabric of Ashby" and "erode the area's sense of community", as well as worries over traffic and parking.

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Residents have also strongly objected to the loss of the care home, arguing that housing for older people is desperately needed, but officers have shot down this argument, saying there would still be a surplus of care home beds despite the loss of the building.

Concerns have also been raised that the 17-bed HMO could house up to 34 residents, including couples; however, officers have recommended that councillors impose a strict condition limiting the building to 17 residents.

There are also disputes from Ashby Town Council saying that there are "already car parking issues on Churchill Close" and that the HMO would be "unsuitable".

Council officers have also raised concerns over the lack of green space for the proposed HMO residents, making it "extremely limited" and that it would provide "little functional space beyond possible areas for drying clothes".

But officers have said that HMO tenants tend to "live more independently" and can just walk to public parks instead.

NWLDC councillors are set to approve or deny the planning application on March 10.