Latest news with #ArticleFour
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council urged to stop 'uncontrolled transformation'
A petition is calling on a council to stop the "uncontrolled transformation" of a neighbourhood. Residents of Greenbank Road in Darlington want measures to be put in place to stop landlords turning properties into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). "Darlington Borough Council has lost control of the HMO situation in our neighbourhood," a letter to residents said. The authority said it was looking into measures it could implement to address the concerns. There are about 400 HMOs in Darlington, according to the council. HMOs are used by residents, often students or young professionals, who rent their bedrooms and share living facilities. Current rules mean that planning permission for an HMO is only needed when it will house more than five people. Specific measures – called an Article Four direction – can be implemented to require the landlord to seek permission for smaller HMOs. The Greenbank Road residents' petition said the council had "no way" of knowing how many houses had already been turned into HMOs and called for the Article Four direction to be made in their area. "[The council] cannot make reasonable planning decisions by assessing the impact of new, large HMOs on our local streets if they don't know the scale of the local problem," it said. A spokesman at Darlington Borough Council said HMOs provided "a valuable contribution to housing provision for people who could not access the housing market through home ownership or rental. They added: "We also recognise that a concentration of unregulated HMOs can cause issues for neighbouring residents." The authority said while its own policies provided guidance for considering applications for larger HMOs, it did not cover those with fewer than five occupants. "We have been working hard to look into measures, such as an Article Four direction, that can be introduced at the earliest opportunity to help control those smaller HMOs." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Council to demand planning permission for all HMOs HMO petition calls for council to extend curbs Darlington Borough Council
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
'We are not NIMBYs. But this is too much'
Plans have been submitted for the conversion of a five-bedroom house to a house of multiple occupation (HMO) close to Wigan town centre. Andrew Lyon, a director of Winstanley Property Ltd, based in the town, wants to turn the semi-detached property in Dicconson Street, Swinley, into an HMO for five people. Details of the plan have been published on the council's planning portal and it has already prompted objections from neighbours, including the owner of the next door property, Paul Moorcroft. READ MORE: Man and his dog killed after being hit by car that 'flipped' in horror crash READ MORE: Reports of car 'landing on pedestrian' and multiple people injured in horror crash Mr Moorcoft, 57, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): 'I am very worried about the house next door becoming an HMO as my home adjoins it and there is a high risk of anti-social behaviour. There are already too many HMOs in this area.' Another neighbour is Yvonne Taylor, 56. 'I'm not happy about this at all,' she said. 'There are already enough HMOs in the area." The Swinley area of Wigan is an 'Article Four' designated area, meaning all HMO conversions must get planning permission before they go ahead. Sue Lawless, 59, is also a neighbour. 'Our houses back on to Bridgeman Terrace where there are three other HMOs close together, and there are others in this area,' she said. 'This used to be an area where families brought up their children, but they are fast disappearing. 'I understand shared living, I used to do it myself when I was a young person. We are not NIMBYs. But there are already a huge amount of HMOs in this area, which means the population is very transient - not a healthy situation.' The planning application describes the house as three storeys high with private yard to the rear and off-street car parking for one vehicle. 'It is apparent that vehicles currently park directly in front of the property with on-street parking areas available,' it says. 'These are restricted to residential permit holders only, including the prospective occupants of the HMO, who would qualify for parking permits. 'There is time restricted on street short stay parking also available further down Dicconson Street.' It said that the number of rooms had been kept to a minimum to ensure that the building is 'not over occupied' and provides adequate levels of amenity for potential tenants, including and refuse and recycling provision. The works do not affect the external appearance of the building and there will be no effect on the character and appearance of the area. It goes on: 'The maximum number of residents (up to five people) is proposed to be controlled by condition, as can the management of the facility to minimise amenity impacts.' Winstanley Property Ltd has been contacted for comment.
