Concerns over number of HMO licenses being issued in Glasgow
An FOI request revealed that of the 248 Hillhead HMO licences in the Hillhead ward, 119 were new licenses approved since 2021 that have not been granted previously.
Since 2021, a further 116 new HMO licences have been granted as a result of the change of owner, four new HMOs were agreed as the result of missing the renewal date and nine new licences were approved as a result of an issue with title deeds.
Ms Feild claims that these numbers 'contravene' the council's own City Development Plan (CDP) and 'erode the fabric of a coveted conservation area.'
She said: 'The reason I submitted the FOI request was because I wanted to understand the city development plan for 2017 which states no more HMOs are going to be approved in Hillhead because we already have too many.
'The FOI revealed there are 248 licenses in Hillhead overall but that there have been 119 new HMO licences approved since 2021 which I take issue with.
READ MORE: Council facing huge repair bill after leaving 'justice centre' in state of disrepair
'Now the issue is what is the council going to do about it. When I saw those numbers, I was shocked as were members of the Hillhead community council.'
A report by a member of the Hillhead Community Council, which represents voices from around the Hillhead area, highlights some of the issues residents face living when somewhere with a high concentration of students.
It states that the density of HMOs within buildings and the density of student accommodation towers affect the short and long-term health of residents living and working in this city.
These include adult workers such as local nurses, doctors, teachers and shopkeepers who are vital to the area and this city for its long-term sustainability.
Health issues due to noise, disturbance where people have reported ceiling collapsing due to parties, and the comings and goings of short-term residence, can lead to insomnia, increased blood pressure, stress, digestive issues as well as depression and anxiety.
Many residents and owner occupiers in Hillhead and surrounding areas feel that they are being disregarded and treated like second-class citizens due to the density of HMOs and the student accommodation blocks.
People now feel they are getting pushed out of their homes and are moving elsewhere.
READ MORE: Taxi firm owner 'deeply embarrassed' after shouting and swearing at council meeting
Mel added: 'There is a document of issues that have emerged as a result of the number of HMOs in the area including issues around health and welfare, environmental through litter and bulk items that are dumped all over the place and the economic impact as students don't generate council tax or profit for these properties.
'People feel like second-class citizens due to the density of HMOs and these student accommodation blocks. It is a point where the council needs to stop granting HMO licences which take away from residential amenity.
'No more means no more. What is the point of licensing if you are just going to hand out licenses like lollies to anyone who asks for one?
'I think there are two angles here. There is a longer-term strategy of figuring out how the council legislation needs to work so that planning and licensing are linked so there is no messing around to get straight to a licence without having to do planning first.
'The council needs to stop issuing NET new licenses. There needs to be an inquiry on how to prevent this and allow the longer term strategy to catch up.'
Hillhead Community Council will now ask the council to hold an enquiry into the number of HMO licenses approved and for a moratorium on NET NEW HMO licenses to be put in place until an enquiry is concluded.
Glasgow City Council says each HMO licence is considered under the Housing (Scotland) Act with the purpose to protect public safety.
READ MORE: Council rejects plans for huge 1000-home development with pub and park
A spokesman said: 'Applications for an HMO licence are considered in terms of section 130 and 131 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.
'Each application is always assessed on its own merits.
'If both the property and the owners or their agents are deemed to be suitable in terms of the relevant legislation, there is no basis to refuse a licence.
'Local representatives are consulted on every HMO application in their area and notices are displayed next to any property that is subject of an application.
'Members of the public and community councils can make representations about HMO applications and these must be considered.
'Planning permission is only required where a property requires to be sufficiently changed to become suitable for use as an HMO.
'The purpose of any licensing scheme, including HMOs, is to protect public safety.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of men given ‘unnecessary' cancer treatment every year due to ‘wild west' guidelines
A leading cancer charity says "enough is enough" as it calls for Nice to update its advice 'HARMFUL' Thousands of men given 'unnecessary' cancer treatment every year due to 'wild west' guidelines Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) UP to 5,000 men every could avoid unnecessary cancer treatment if "outdated" guidelines reflected latest evidence, a charity has urged. Overtreatment can lead to side effects such as erectile dysfunction or incontinence, it warned. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 For men whose prostate cancer is unlikely to progress, experts suggest close monitoring is the "best" option - but advice on this hasn't been updated since 2021 Credit: Getty Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in males in the UK, with around 55,000 new cases diagnosed every year. However, in some cases, the cancer is slow-growing and unlikely to ever cause the patient harm. For men whose cancer is unlikely to progress, experts suggest close monitoring is the "best" option. However, out-of-date guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) on how this is implemented has created a "wild west". Close monitoring involves blood tests and scans, known as active surveillance. Nice guidance on active surveillance is designed to advise specialists on how to implement monitoring and which men should be monitored. However, it hasn't been updated since 2021, according to Prostate Cancer UK. A Freedom of information (FOI) request analysis by the charity found around one in four (24 per cent) of hospitals rely on Nice guidance alone to implement active surveillance. It also found 35 hospitals have created their own guidelines, which Prostate Cancer UK warned can lead to inconsistency and confusion among medics. The charity is now repeating its call for Nice to update its guidance on active surveillance, claiming it could help up to 5,000 men a year avoid overtreatment. I thought I was drinking too much tea - but it was actually a deadly condition It also claims the outdated guidance is hindering a screening programme for prostate cancer. Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "To reduce the harm caused by prostate cancer and build the foundations for a screening programme, we need to both save lives and prevent unnecessary treatment but official guidelines still haven't caught up with the clinical evidence. "Concerns about overtreatment are a major reason the UK does not routinely screen for prostate cancer, despite it being the most common cancer in England. "Acting on latest research that shows more men can safely opt for monitoring instead of treatment will reduce overtreatment and the harm it causes men. "We asked Nice to update their active surveillance guidance two years ago, but our request was rejected. Now we have evidence this is potentially affecting thousands of men. Enough is enough." Current testing for prostate cancer The NHS uses a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to check for prostate conditions, including prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate. Routine PSA testing is not currently offered on the NHS, but patients may be offered a PSA test if a GP suspects they have prostate cancer, while men over 50 can request a test from their GP even if they do not have symptoms. But there have been calls to roll the test out across the health service, although some argue widespread use could identify cases which may not have caused problems or needed treatment. Vincent Gnanapragasam, a professor of urology at the University of Cambridge, said: "Active surveillance is the best treatment option for men whose cancer is unlikely to progress or cause them problems in their lifetime. "But Nice's outdated guidelines have created a deeply concerning wild west on how surveillance is implemented by different healthcare teams. What is prostate cancer? Prostate cancer affects a small, walnut shaped gland that sits underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra - the tube carrying pee outside the body. It usually grows bigger as you get older. The prostate's main job is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm. Most men with early prostate cancer don't have any signs or symptoms - that's why it's important to know about your risk. Possible symptoms include: Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder A weak flow when you urinate A feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied properly Dribbling urine after you finish urinating Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night A sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet If you do notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of an enlarged prostate, which is very common and non-cancerous. But it's still a good idea to get it checked out. In the UK, about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Some factors may mean you're more likely to get it. This includes: Getting older – it mainly affects men aged 50 or over Having a family history of prostate cancer Being Black If you have any of these risk factors or if you have any symptoms, speak to your GP. They can talk to you about your risk, and about the tests that are used to diagnose prostate cancer. Source: Prostate Cancer UK "This inconsistency is resulting in a lack of confidence from patients in surveillance, who may instead opt to have treatment they may not have ever needed, risking harmful side effects. "Programmes for active surveillance that are standardised and individualised to a man's risk factors have been tested and proven to work." The UK's National Screening Committee is currently assessing whether a national screening programme for prostate cancer should be rolled out. A Nice spokesperson said: "We are committed to ensuring our guidelines continue to reflect the best available evidence and give patients the best possible outcomes. "They are developed by an independent committee, including NHS clinical experts, and are kept under review to ensure they remain current. "We are updating our prostate cancer guidelines, including a review of the recommendations around active surveillance, and will be assessing whether our suspected cancer guideline recommendations around age-related thresholds for PSA tests for prostate cancer for onwards referral from primary care require updating."
ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
Nurses face 'abhorrent' levels of violence as A&E attacks double in five years
Nurses are facing 'abhorrent' levels of violence as attacks in A&E wards have almost doubled in the last five years, new figures reveal. Staff have been punched, spat at and even had a gun pointed at one of them in A&E departments. Long waits in A&E are also leading to anger among patients who are not prone to violence, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said as it called for more to be done to protect NHS staff. The nursing union submitted Freedom of information (FOI) requests to NHS hospitals with accident and emergency departments and found rates of violence towards staff had almost doubled in the last five years. Figures from 89 hospital trusts, out of a possible 129, revealed there were 4,054 cases of physical violence against A&E staff recorded in 2024, up from 2,093 in 2019. Without action to tackle long waits, corridor care and 'chronic' staffing problems, the rates of violence will continue to rise, the RCN warned. One senior A&E nurse based in east London told the RCN she has seen colleagues punched and kicked and described how a colleague had a gun pointed at them. She herself had been spat at by a patient and threatened with an acid attack. A senior charge nurse from the East Midlands, Rachelle McCarthy, told the RCN that 'even patients you would expect to be placid are becoming irate because of just how long they have to wait'. 'You can only imagine the behaviour of those who are already prone to violence,' she added. Ms McCarthy also told the union she was punched 'square in the face' by a 'drunk, six foot two bloke'. Another nurse said: 'It's not going to help with our retention and recruitment if you think you're going to be clobbered every shift.' Sarah Tappy, a senior sister in an A&E in east London, was knocked unconscious after being punched in the head by a patient. 'The violence is awful,' she said. 'And it's just constant. Nurses, doctors, receptionists, none of us feels safe.' RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: 'Nursing staff not only go to work underpaid and undervalued but now face a rising tide of violence." 'It leads to both physical and mental scarring, lengthy time off and sometimes staff never returning." 'Measures to keep staff safe day-to-day are crucial, but the stark reality is that unless the Government does something about lengthy waits, corridor care and understaffed nursing teams, more nursing staff will become victims of this utterly abhorrent behaviour." 'Left unaddressed, this could see plans to reform the NHS fail completely.' The Liberal Democrats have called for A&E staff to be given access to a panic button which would give them a 'direct line' to the police. The party's health spokesperson Helen Morgan said: 'The Government must urgently ensure all A&E units have a direct line to their nearest police station through a panic button ... to protect patients and staff and ensure these violent criminals are swiftly arrested.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'I am appalled by these findings. Nurses dedicate their lives to helping others and deserve to go about their jobs free from violence or intimidation. 'Anyone who violates this core principle will feel the full force of the law." 'I met with the Royal College of Nursing recently to reaffirm our commitment to standing with frontline workers, working together to stop violence against NHS staff and improving their working conditions." 'Just yesterday I announced a new graduate guarantee to get more nurses into our NHS, and I have also committed to shining a light on the extent to which corridor care plagues our NHS, as the first step to eradicating it." 'We are strengthening vital support for victims, including security training and emotional support for staff affected by violence, so no NHS worker has to suffer in silence.'
Daily Record
08-08-2025
- Daily Record
Anger over 'betrayal' of women as Gynaecology waiting times soar in Ayrshire
One woman had to wait more than two years, while the median wait for a gynaecology appointment has more than tripled in the last six years. The SNP government is 'betraying women,' Scottish Labour MSP Carol Mochan has warned- after new data showed some women in the NHS Ayrshire & Arran area were forced to wait years for key gynaecology appointments. One woman had to wait more than two years, while the median wait for a gynaecology appointment has more than tripled in the last six years, according to FOI data obtained by Scottish Labour. The government promised to improve outcomes in women's health; however, waiting times for gynaecology appointments and other key gynaecology procedures have barely improved, meaning many women are forced to wait far too long for care which is often time sensitive. Gynaecological waits cover women's reproductive health and include everything from the keyhole surgery needed to identify endometriosis to prolapsed wombs and complex contraception. Commenting, South Scotland Labour List MSP and Scottish Labour's Women's Health spokesperson, Carol Mochan, said: 'Behind these shocking figures are Ayrshire women waiting in pain and anxiety for years at a time. 'The SNP government promised to improve women's health — instead it has let them down again by allowing waiting lists soar. 'Women and their health deserve better. I am committed to overseeing a significant reduction in these waiting list times so that women's health is going in the right direction rather than being held back, but that will not happen if we keep making excuses.' Jenni Minto, the Minister for Women's Health, said: 'I understand that it is upsetting and frustrating for women who face long waits in pain and discomfort for treatment and diagnosis. This government is focussed on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists. 'We have allocated over £8.8 million to health boards to target long waits for gynaecology and expect this to deliver significant improvements to the waiting list backlog in the coming year through waiting list initiatives and recruitment. 'As the first country in the UK to publish a Women's Health Plan we are working with NHS and other partners to improve health outcomes for women and girls. Timely access to gynaecology services must be addressed and gynaecology will be included as a priority in the next phase of the plan.'
