Bus and breakfast! Plan to use driveway bus for lets

Vintage vehicle could be used for short-stay holidays

Friday, 19th July 2024 — By Richard Osley

bus

One of the buses used as an example in the planning application

OFFICIALS are mulling over an unusual bid to park a converted vintage bus in a driveway – so it can be used as a short-stay holiday let.

They have been asked to grant planning approval for the land outside a four-flat property in Thornhill Road, Barns­bury.

Architects working for the property owner say that driveways in cities are becoming “increasingly redundant” due to people giving up cars and that permission should be granted to repurpose them.

Two guests would be able to stay in the bus, coach or similar vintage choice from before 1980, with a suggestion that an old Transport for London vehicle could be adapted for human habitation,

“This proposal seeks to innovatively demonstrate how a suitable residential driveway, increasingly redundant as cities shift away from private vehicles as the primary mode of transport, can be sensitively repurposed for short-term holiday accommodation,” the application, published on Islington Council’s website, said.

“This approach not only avoids the removal of residential dwellings from the housing market but also exemplifies efficient and sustainable land use, minimising the need for new construction and its associated environmental impact.”

The document said it was acknowledged that a caravan or a camper van would detract from the setting of the street, which is why the vintage bus idea had been put forward instead.

TfL’s old Greenline single-decker bus was used as a possible example in the application, although the actual exact vehicle to be used has not been confirmed.

“Introducing a historically significant vehicle as a short-term accommodation solution, instead of the transit vans currently occupying the space, is anticipated to enhance the aesthetic value of the driveway,” the proposal said.

It is not known at this stage whether planning officials will push a decision on the case up to councillors or reach a verdict themselves.

Up and down the country, homeowners have used their driveways to raise extra cash by letting the space out for people in need of reliable parking spots.

The plan for the site in Thornhill Road would be different from most of the available properties on short-term holiday rental booking sites like Airbnb, although “bus glamping” has become a growing trend in recent years as people look for quirky accommodation.

Related Articles