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HMO victory for Portsmouth planners
By Simon Thompson |
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| Councillors have chalked up their first victory is a city’s bid to limit shared houses for students.
A planning inspector has upheld their decision to reject permission for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) because the property would breach Portsmouth’s policy to limit shared houses to only 10% of homes in any area.
The landlord was seeking permission for an HMO is Great Southsea Street, Portsmouth, a neighbourhood popular with students.
In his judgment, planning inspector Andrew Dale said: “It is my planning judgment that this community is already evidently suffering from an imbalance due to the concentration or close gathering of HMOs.
“My reading of the representations from local residents indicates to me that they have observed a steady deterioration in the quality of their life, the local environment and the sense of community.
“This does not come about as a result of the impact of an individual HMO property; rather it is due to the creeping accumulation of HMOs over a period of time.
“Adding a further HMO into the southern half of Great Southsea Street would, to my mind, be a step in the wrong direction.”
The council introduced the HMO limit after complaints from neighbours about noise, rubbish, parking problems and a drop in property values.
Many of Portsmouth’s HMOs house students from the city’s university.
Planning committee chairman Lee Hunt said: ‘It is a shame that it has come to the point where we have to make a policy about shared houses. It’s not just students, we know there are lots of working people living in properties like this because house prices are so high.
“So many landlords have completely abdicated their responsibilities and just let the council, the police and the university clean up after them.
“Residents have to put up with rubbish piling up in forecourts and noise disturbances spoiling the quality of their lives.
“The inspector has agreed that our policy carries weight and we will continue to use it.”
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'No Sign' Of Rising Rents Abating |
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'No Sign' Of Rising Rents Abating
Private rents rose by 1.1% in the year to February across the UK, the Office for National Statistics says.
The data reveals that, on a monthly basis, rents grew by 1%.
In England and Wales, rents rose by |
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