PLANS to create a kitchen in a building that is subject to a separate application for a house of multiple occupation (HMO) on the first floor have been approved.

Proposals to change the use of part of the ground floor at 574 Warrington Road, Rainhill, were sent to the council.

A planning officer's report stated the ground floor unit is used for retail and occupied by Rainhill Village Carpets & Flooring, with the first floor occupied as a residential flat, with the address 574A Warrington Road.

The proposal "seeks a partial change of use of the rear section of the existing ground floor of the retail unit to form a kitchen that would be accessed by the first floor flat at 574A Warrington Road."

The Star recently reported after an application was submitted for a five-bed HMO at the first floor of the building.

In a report, planning officer Tony Jackson noted there had been objections to the application to create the kitchen citing worries over the scale of the HMO.

Mr Jackson said: "There is currently a certificate of lawfulness application for the conversion of the first floor to a HMO and whether it can be done under permitted development rights, that has no bearing on this application, therefore I will not comment further in regards to the points raised relating to a HMO."

The plans to change the use of part of the ground floor were approved.