- Durham County Council is increasing its coverage of Article 4 directions for HMOs beyond Durham City to cover the whole county
- The move will mean that planning permission will be required to change any house into an HMO.
- Planning policy is being developed to ensure that there is clear guidance when determining HMO planning applications
- Next week, Cabinet will be presented with the interim planning policy and asked to approve it for consultation
A new planning policy is being developed to help control the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in County Durham.
Durham County Council is increasing its coverage of Article 4 Directions for HMOs beyond Durham City and its surrounding areas to cover the whole county.
The move, which was agreed last year and is due to come into force in August, will mean that planning permission will be required to change any house into an HMO. Plus, a planning policy is being developed to ensure that there is clear guidance when determining such applications.
This draft interim planning policy is required to specifically address HMO applications outside of the existing Durham City Article 4 areas, which already have a supporting planning policy in place.
Next week, Cabinet will be presented with the interim planning policy and asked to approve it for consultation.
Cllr Nicola Lyons, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: “The overconcentration of HMOs in any one area can change the overall character of a neighbourhood. It can impact the availability of parking, contribute to increased noise levels, and affect the general appearance of properties. Long-term, it can also reduce the availability of housing for families.
“An Article 4 Direction is currently in place for Durham City to control concentrations of HMOs predominantly occupied by students. However, evidence has shown that the number of HMOs has increased across the county too.
“We believe the introduction of an interim policy alongside the countywide Article 4 Direction is necessary in order to help control the number of these properties and help us to maintain mixed and balanced communities across the county.”
The interim policy sets out that applications should not lead to three, or more, of the ten nearest properties being HMOs. It should also not result in the ‘sandwiching’ of a residential property between either two HMO properties or an HMO and a property that is not a home.
The policy also sets detailed requirements to ensure the HMO accommodation provides a high standard of accommodation for those living there and that the living conditions of neighbouring residents is protected.
The interim policy will apply alongside the existing County Durham Plan (CDP). A new CDP will be progressed and the policies for both HMOs in Durham City and across the county will be reviewed as part of this process and will be subject to further consultation.
Cabinet will discuss the interim policy when it meets on Wednesday 18 March.
If agreed by Cabinet, a consultation on the interim HMO policy will be held from 25 March to 5 May where residents can give their views.
