By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Gedling Borough Council will reassess calls to place a legal order on houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) across Netherfield in 12 months.
But the authority’s deputy leader says recent assessments into the issue have made it “crystal clear” there is no evidence to suggest it is currently needed.
The Labour-run authority has been investigating the number of HMOs in the area for the past six months after concern from residents and politicians.
A HMO is a house, often previously used by families, which a landlord has converted into multiple rooms for individual tenants.
They are frequently used in areas heavily populated by students but are also becoming more common in more traditionally residential communities.
Some Netherfield residents believe the area is becoming a hotspot for the properties and feel it has led to parking issues, drainage problems and more anti-social behaviour.
There have also been fears about an increased number of family homes being lost from the town.
The investigations followed a survey by Gedling’s Conservative MP Tom Randall and Tory councillors on the prevalence of HMOs in Netherfield.
It gathered 111 responses raising similar concerns while a meeting in March saw residents voice fears over the impact on their community.
In June, cabinet members on the Labour-run authority commissioned further investigations to assess whether legal limits should be placed on new HMOs.
Now, the same committee has met again and was told there is “insufficient evidence” to prove these measures are necessary.
This legal action would be in the form of an ‘Article 4 direction – an order aimed at clamping down on the number of HMOs proposed by developers.
It would give the authority more planning powers to restrict existing properties from being converted into HMOs.
Currently, residential homes do not need to be given permission for a conversion, as per legislation enforced by the Coalition Government in 2010.
The legislation – described both in June and this month as a “misstep” – would be reversed under an Article 4 direction specifically for Netherfield.
However, an Article 4 direction would require “robust evidence” and investigations by the authority have found this would not apply in the Gedling ward.
Just 12 out of the 2,915 homes across Netherfield are HMOs, working out at 0.41 per cent of all homes.
And the HMOs currently present are distributed across the town, with the council saying there “does not appear to be an over-concentration on one particular locality”.
Cabinet members noted the contents of the authority’s reports but vowed to look at the issue again in a year to see if the situation has changed.
Speaking in Thursday’s meeting (December 8), Councillor Michael Payne (Lab), deputy leader of the authority, said: “What has come out of this investigation is crystal clear, in black and white.
“I don’t think anybody could say 0.41 per cent, or 12 out of 2,915 homes, is a concentration of HMOs in one given area.”
He added: “If there are individual concerns by residents about HMOs, or businesses, or other residential developments, they should report them to councillors or officers and we will have no hesitation in acting.”
Cllr John Clarke (Lab), leader of the authority, also represents the Netherfield ward and asked council officers to report back in a year on the number of HMOs across the area.
It means the issue will return for discussion before cabinet members in December 2023 – after the upcoming local elections.
Cllr Clarke added: “I’m confident now planning has looked at it and legal has looked at it, that we will monitor this closely.
“If there are further things to indicate an Article 4, we will go for it.”
