Labour councillors are working to halt the rapid rise in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), across County Durham.
Shadow Cabinet member for Housing, Cllr Kevin Shaw, wants Durham County Council to introduce new planning controls so the authority can effectively manage the increasing impact of Tory Government policy threatens to create an unsustainable rise in HMOs.
Cllr Shaw raised the issue with officers and the need to understand the full impact of the former Government’s policy, raising East Durham as an area of particular concern. He has secured the issue space on the Council’s Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee workstream, meaning it will be thoroughly investigated.
“As a Council, we are aware of the negative impact HMOs have on communities, due to the number of townhouses converted to student accommodation in Durham City in recent years. However, due to the former Government’s policy, it is increasingly becoming an issue across the wider county; particularly where housing is relatively cheap,” he said.
“Councillors live in the communities we represent, and we already struggle with problems in our former mining communities. Labour’s introduction of a Selective Licensing Scheme is having significant impact in addressing resident concerns about the private rented sector, but another increase in landlords letting HMOs in these areas will further impact amenities and increase demand on services already decimated by 14 years of Tory chaos and cuts. HMOs negatively influence community cohesion and take larger family homes from the property market, forcing people to leave areas they’ve always lived.
“Durham County Council must look strategically and introduce supplementary planning control to address the issue. We need greater oversight at a planning level and the Council must urgently consider the legality of introducing tighter conditions to control the location and number of HMOs and we need to better understand the impact they are currently having across our County.
“While HMOs provide a vital and necessary means to help ensure the County meets its diverse housing need, the Council must have a joined-up approach going forward and Labour will continue to fight to deliver a solution that meets the needs of all of our residents.”