Issue - meetings

To receive the report on Article 4 & Additional Iicensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

Cabinet considered a joint report by Councillor Carolyn Healy, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Sustainability and Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, which set out an evidence base for the introduction of an Article 4 Direction for Small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), which would withdraw existing permitted development rights meaning all HMOs would require planning permission.

The report also set out proposals to introduce an Additional Licensing Scheme under the Housing Act 2004, which would require a licence for small HMOs comprising 3 to 4 occupants, which were not currently covered by the existing mandatory licensing regime, which required HMOs with five or more occupants to be licensed.

It was reported that this was a significant milestone in the Council’s journey to improve the private sector in Telford and Wrekin.  This joint report began with a clear ambition to ensure that everyone in the borough had access to safe, decent and affordable housing and  it was recognised early on that while the private lending sector was a vital part of the borough’s housing mix, it also presented unique challenges, especially for the borough’s most vulnerable residents. 

The Council had, too often, seen the consequences of poorly managed properties, antisocial behaviour, overcrowding and neighbourhood decline and that it was the Council’s position that decent housing was the fundamental foundation for opportunity, health and community.  That was why, in 2018, it launched the Better Homes for All programme, which took proactive intelligence-led enforcement action against rogue landlords and unsafe properties.  Good progress had been made but the landscape had changed due to the cost-of-living crisis, welfare reforms and rising rents, which had driven more people into shared housing and HMOs.

The report set out that the number of HMOs in the borough had grown rapidly and with it, the concerns of residents about the impact on their communities.  HMOs were necessarily an important part of the Council’s housing solution, since they provided affordable accommodation for young people, students and those on low incomes and for many, they were the only viable option, but  the nature of shared living meant that HMOs required careful management.

It should be remembered, however, that well-run HMOs offered a good start in life although, if poorly managed, they could be linked to antisocial behaviour, crime, overcrowding, and poor living conditions.

It was important to stress that these proposals had not been brought forward lightly and that considerable time and effort had been taken to gather the robust evidence needed to justify these measures.  The Council had analysed local data, reviewed national best practice and had listened to the experiences of residents, landlords, and partners.  The evidence base demonstrated clear links between high concentrations of HMOs and increased crime, antisocial behaviour, and pressure on local services.

In response to the approach for both Article 4 and additional licensing, the evidence showed that issues linked to HMOs were not confined to one or two neighbourhoods and were present across the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34