Issue - meetings

B (Copy herewith)

2.1       Cabinet approved the draft Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for consultation for 8 weeks from 8 August to 3 October 2019.  

2.2       Cabinet delegated authority to the Head of Planning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning to make minor non-material spelling, formatting, mapping and other amendments to the consultation documents where they do not alter the intent of the document.

Councillor Hill as the relevant Cabinet Member submitted a report which brought findings from the Loughborough University study on HMOs. This aimed to reduce the concentration of HMOs from 15% to 10% of dwellings within a 50 metre radius of the application site.

Councillor Stone considered the description of need on page 236 to be unsatisfactory.  HMOs resulted from low wages and high rents.  There were safeguarding issues around vulnerable people such as care leavers and asylum seekers.  Stronger enforcement was needed and a reduction in the backlog of investigations.  Planning standards should be higher; for example, no person living in a HMO should be without an en-suite bathroom.

Councillor Stone was pleased to note the robust description of parking issues in HMOs.

Councillor Hill stated that standards would be raised by encouraging good landlords and HMOs. 

RESOLVED:

2.1       Cabinet approved the draft Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for consultation for 8 weeks from 8 August to 3 October 2019.  

2.2       Cabinet delegated authority to the Head of Planning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning to make minor non-material spelling, formatting, mapping and other amendments to the consultation documents where they do not alter the intent of the document.