Council leader issues warning to HMO developers
LDRSA council leader has issued a warning to property developers looking to create more houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in the local area.
Durham County Council's Andrew Husband warned would-be investors that "Durham's probably not for you" at a meeting where the authority's cabinet backed stricter planning rules across the county.
Under the interim policy, planning applications for new HMOs will normally be refused if any of the 10 nearest properties are already HMOs.
Fellow Reform UK councillor Dawn Bellingham said the policy was a direct response to residents' concerns.
She said: "It is designed to strike the right balance, it will protect existing communities from the over-concentration and poor standards while also ensuring that future occupiers have access to safe, well managed and good quality accommodation."
The policy also means HMO applications will be rejected if it means a family home would be "sandwiched" between two HMOs or between an HMO and a non-residential property.
It also sets a limit of HMOs only making up to a maximum of 10% of residential properties within a 100m (328ft) radius, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The interim policy follows Durham County Council bringing in measures last year, which meant all new HMOs would need to receive planning permission first.
Previously, permission was only required for properties for more than six people.
