PLANS to turn a Southampton guesthouse into five self-contained flats have been given the go-ahead.

The city council has approved an application to convert the Irving Guest House at 15 Roberts Road and add a first-floor rear extension.

A city council report said the proposed development represented "windfall" housing.

It added: "Amended plans have been received which reduce the scale of the extension, and a previously proposed two-bedroom flat has been changed to a single-bedroom unit.

"The mass and bulk of the extension has been improved by reducing its width.

"The extension is therefore no longer considered to be overbearing and/or dominant when seen from either neighbour’s rear gardens."

Summing up, the report said: "It is acknowledged that the proposal would make a contribution to the council’s five-year housing land supply.

"There would also be social and economic benefits resulting from the construction of the new dwelling(s) and their subsequent occupation."

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