Landlords in Rugby will need permission to convert any home into an HMO next year after the council voted to introduce an Article 4 direction.

Once in force, the direction means small HMOs in the Benn, Coton and Boughton, Eastlands, New Bilton, and Newbold and Brownsover wards must apply for planning permission, along with larger HMOs which are already covered.

Councillors voted for the change in a bid to protect the character of these wards which have seen demand for HMOs rise in recent years and follows a council review into residents’ concerns. The authority reports that all responses to this consultation were supportive of the direction, including a petition of support signed by 651 residents.

Councillor Louise Robinson, (main image) portfolio holder for growth, investment, digital and communications, says the Article 4 Direction aims to strike a balance between meeting the housing needs of residents and protecting the character and amenities of council wards.

Additional powers

She says the direction is the first step in the council’s plan to adopt additional powers to control the number and location of HMOs in certain council wards, with an HMO policy set to be included in the borough’s new local plan.

“By bringing small HMOs into the planning process, we can consider each application against both national and local planning policies while also giving residents the opportunity to comment on applications before the council considers whether to recommend or refuse the plans,” she adds.

Last year, LandlordZONE reported that two online petitions had rapidly gathered signatures against HMOs; one blamed the council’s lack of policy on converting HMOs and cited one street where a developer was buying four homes in a row, turning each one into a seven or eight-bed HMO.