A FORMER nursing home will go under the auctioneer’s hammer next month – raising fears of another Old Town shared house conversion.

Developers have twice failed to win planning permission to convert the Sunnymede nursing home, Croft Road, into bed-sit flats.

In 2016, the borough planning committee turned down the latest attempt on the grounds that there were insufficient car parking spaces.

Despite the planning battles, auctioneers Strakers are advertising the old care home as a potential shared house - or house in multiple occupation (HMO). If converted into an 11-bedroom HMO, the firm believes it could create a rental income of almost £53,000 a year. The property has a guide price of £390,000.

In particulars shared ahead of the auction on May 10, Strakers say: “Currently in need of renovation, it would however make an ideal investment HMO or alternatively it could be reinstated as a six-bedroom family home.”

Residents want to see the red-brick house converted back into a family home, saying that the parking concerns that sunk previous planning applications still apply.

Colin Doubleday, co-chairman of the Old Town Residents’ Association, said: “We want new owners to see this property as part of our community, not as a money-making machine. There are many solutions that may be possible including creating a couple of large family units, but over 10 individual homes would be more than this plot was designed to accommodate.”

Dave Welham, 37, of Croft Road, said: “I don’t want it to be a HMO, because of the parking. I’m hoping somebody will buy it and try and turn it back into a home.”

Mark Powney, 47, of neighbouring St Margaret’s Road, said: “I’d like to see it turned back into residential use.”

Nadine Watts, Old Town ward councillor and vice-chairman of the South Swindon Parish Council planning committee, said that the factors that saw previous bids to convert Sunnymede into bed-sits rejected had not changed.

“I would want any similar HMO application to be refused,” she said. “Any new application would be publicised and considered on its merits. I am surprised and concerned that the property is being marketed in the way that it is.”

The house, 25 Croft Road, will go up for auction on Thursday, May 10, at 7pm at the Corn Exchange, Devizes.

Charlie Doel, auctioneer at Strakers, said: “We think it’s a fantastic opportunity for someone to restore what was once a very attractive house back into its former glory.”