Council to demand planning permission for all HMOs
GoogleA council is set to change its rules so all houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) need its permission to open.
HMOs are properties occupied by at least three people from different households but who share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's current rules mean properties intending to have six or fewer unrelated occupants do not automatically require planning permission.
But the council is ending this exemption after a report found HMOs were vastly more prevalent in "Coatham and particularly around the town centre area".
A number of councillors expressed concern too many were changing the character of some neighbourhoods, putting pressure on parking and leading to more noise.
Coatham's Labour councillor Carl Quartermain - who also holds the council's transport brief - said he was delighted his concerns had "at last been actioned".
"This is a step in the right direction towards preserving the well-being of our residential areas," he said.
'Undercounting properties'
Of the 44 HMOs which had been formally approved in the borough over the last 40 years, 30 were located in Coatham. The next highest number was in Saltburn, with seven.
But an evidence note presented to the council said it was not possible to identify every HMO in the borough, particularly as developers did not always notify the council of works, and properties remained hidden until concerns were raised by members of the public.
"This presents a situation whereby the council is aware of some HMOs, although there could be many others which it is not aware of and may be undercounting," it said.
In the future, it will be down to the council to decide whether an area is over concentrated with HMOs, which will play a part in whether planning permission is granted.
The new measures will be monitored over the next two years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.