At a meeting of Cheshire East’s Environment and Communities Committee yesterday (Thursday 09 September 2021), the Committee unanimously agreed to the adoption of a Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The document will go on to inform about future planning decisions relating to HMOs across the borough.
HMOs are houses occupied by more than 3 unrelated people who share a kitchen or bathroom. The SPD recognises that “a saturation of HMOs in a particular location can have negative impacts upon that area…” and that “the occupation of dwellings as HMOs by a high number of adults compared to a typical family home, can place additional demands on services and infrastructure, for example increased waste generation.”
The policy as adopted will mean that a maximum of 10% concentration of HMOs within a 50-metre radius will be applied and that any new proposal which would result in an existing non-HMO property being sandwiched by HMOs on either side not being permitted.
It has been recognised that concentration of HMOs is a particular issue in Crewe. In December 2019 the Labour/Independent council authorised the making of three Article 4 Directions for the Nantwich Road, Hungerford Road and West Street areas of Crewe. The Directions come into effect in November this year and will remove “permitted development rights” to convert an existing house into a HMO without gaining planning permission in these areas.
Councillor Anthony Critchley (Crewe Central), who attended the meeting, commented; “I welcome the council finally gripping this issue after years of the former Conservative administration doing nothing about it. Of course, I want the council to go further, and, with that in mind, my colleagues and myself made it clear today that we do not believe this to be the finished article. We need to not only control future conversions but also address the legacy of over-concentration of HMOs left behind by years of neglect. It’s about getting the right type of housing in the right areas and accounting for amenities like waste and parking that affect not only potential tenants, but existing neighbours and the wider community too.”
Councillor Steve Hogben (Crewe South) added; “This is a huge issue in Crewe South where 42% of the known HMOs in Cheshire East are situated. The issues with an over-concentration of these types of properties are clear: insufficient parking, increased waste, associated fly-tipping and often low-quality living conditions. I welcome the steps taken by the council today and would like to give due credit to the past work of Crewe councillors across the whole town on this matter. I’m confident that in the long term these measures will improve the situation in Crewe.”
“This is a huge issue in Crewe South. The issues with an over-concentration of these types of properties are clear: insufficient parking, increased waste, associated fly-tipping and often low-quality living conditions. " - Cllr Steve Hogben