STRICTER rules over Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) are coming to Coventry.
Coventry City Council looks set to adopt a planning policy which will manage the construction or conversion of homes into HMOs.
The HMO Development Plan Document (DPD) aims to help applicants understand what is expected when bringing forward proposals.
Anyone seeking planning permission for an HMO will need to review a checklist of conditions, from parking availability to managing litter and waste, before they can consider putting in a planning request.
The council says the new legislation will give it further powers following the adoption of rules in 2023 which restricted the scope of new HMO developments across a number of neighbourhoods.
Coun Naeem Akhtar, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “HMOs provide housing for many people, but they can also cause a lot of problems – especially in local areas where there is a high concentration of HMOs.
“I regularly listen and talk to people with concerns about the impact of HMOs where they live. That’s because, with lots of people living together, it can bring with it disruption, more litter and waste and there can be extra pressure on parking and noise.
“We also want to prevent potentially harmful concentrations of HMOs and ensure that high standards of accommodation, amenities, and a positive range of housing choices are created across the city.
“By managing areas more effectively, we will encourage more homes for families – and having the DPD in place will help us do this.”
Where an application for new HMO is made, it must show that it is appropriate and be well-integrated in the local area.
The DPD also advocates for higher quality housing and management, to promote good relations between communities.
The areas where new HMO developments require planning permission and where the HMO DPD policies will be applied include Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Foleshill, Lower Stoke, Radford, St Michaels, Sherbourne, Wainbody, Whoberley, Westwood and Upper Stoke.
A report outlining the details of the DPD will go to full Council on Tuesday (March 25).
