Labour councillors have secured another victory as they battle to address the rising number of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) across County Durham.
Durham’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Kevin Shaw, last year called on new planning controls at the County Council that would help mitigate against the dramatic increase in HMOs, a direct product of ill-considered Tory Government policy.
Cllr Shaw and Labour councillors criticised the Council’s Housing Strategy for failing to acknowledge, understand or seek to control the proliferation of HMOs, and the derogatory impact they have on communities.
Having halted progress of the authority’s new Housing Strategy last September, Labour has worked with Council officers to ensure HMO control is a key factor in the re-worked and updated strategy.
At Full Council this week, the Housing Strategy passed with the inclusion of a large scale planning public consultation process to engage with communities impacted by HMOs, inform people of their rights and outline Durham County Council HMOS policy.
Cllr Shaw said:
“Securing commitment for public consultation is a major win and an acknowledgement by the Tory-led Coalition running this Council that it was a major oversight and error not to include it in the Housing Strategy brought before us last year.
“A modern, progressive Housing Strategy that sets ambitious targets, but also addresses local concerns is vital for our County and communities. It also ensures the Council can continue its relationships with partners and developers, so Labour is pleased to give this Strategy our approval.
“However, more must be done to protect and improve the social fabric of communities and maintain social cohesion. So, following May’s local elections Labour will revisit this Strategy and use every tool at our disposal to ensure while we deliver a diverse housing offer, it is done so with existing residents, families and community need at its very heart.”
Before losing control of the Council, Labour introduced a Selective Licensing Scheme, which helps address resident concerns about the private rented sector, but an increase in landlords letting HMOs impacts amenities and increases demand on services already decimated by Tory cuts.
Cllr Shaw added:
“HMOs can impact incredibly negatively on people and communities and create unsustainable burdens on local services. The fact they weren’t even mentioned in the last draft of the County Council Housing Strategy shames the Coalition, as it is something that residents are desperate for us to address.
“But Labour helped address the issue in Durham City and we’re helping address the issue in our towns and villages….and come May, people can expect us to take swift decisive action to help end the rise of HMOs.”