Houses with several students living in them could face tougher restrictions under new plans approved last night by Broxtowe Borough Council.
Families are thinking of leaving the area, because the number of student Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) have increased so much around Beeston, according to one councillor.
Several councillors said the number of HMOs has ‘eroded the character of parts of Beeston’.
Currently, no additional planning permission is needed to convert a ‘family house’ to an HMO in Broxtowe if there are six or fewer students living there.
With two successful and growing universities, and pressure for student housing still high in the city, there has been a growth in recent years of student living across the border in Broxtowe, and Beeston in particular.
Now, concerns are being raised about the quantity of HMOs, and Broxtowe Borough Council is looking to impose new restrictions.
In Nottingham, to convert a ‘family house’ to an HMO, you need to get special planning permission if there are going to be three or more unrelated people living in a house – lower than the threshold in Broxtowe.
Now, Broxtowe is considering bringing its rules in line with the city’s, and is now looking into whether a policy would work.
It is hoped the move could help the council control the amount of new applications it receives, and give it power to reject applications it feels are inappropriate.
However to impose a scheme like this, the council has to have evidence showing there is a need for the new measures.
Now, Broxtowe Borough Council plans to collect this information, before a scheme could potentially be introduced by the end of the year, or early next year.
Councillor Lynda Lally represents Beeston Central for Labour, and said: “I’ve never known anything in the 20 years of being a councillor for Beeston Central which has been as controversial as this, apart from the tram.
“I genuinely feel this is a huge probelm, and we can’t just say ‘we’ll see how this goes’, we can’t do that any more.
“I’ve had people in an emotional state saying I’m going to move out of here because I can’t stand what’s happening to my street any more.
“Family homes with three bedrooms are turning into homes with eight, nine and 10 bedrooms, so I’m really glad we are tackling this.”
“We cannot see our communities destroyed any more.
“This is not against students, this is about getting a better mix.”
Councillor Stephen Carr is the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and represents Beeston North.
He said: “Nottingham seems to now be saturated with HMOs.
“Just over the last few months (in Broxtowe) there are more, and more and more (HMOs) coming in.
“What we are trying to prevent at this stage, is not shutting the door after the horse has bolted, but preventing us becoming Dunkirk, or Lenton which, when you go there now when the students aren’t there, it’s deserted. It has no character, it has hardly any families left.
“We really need this policy quickly.”
The plan was approved unanimously at a meeting of Broxtowe Borough Council’s Jobs and Economy Committee yesterday (Thursday, July 4)
By Local Democracy Reporters
Source: West Bridgford Wire