A public consultation is being launched by Bury Council as it tries to prevent entire areas from becoming ‘over-dominated’ by HMO properties.

Senior councillors have warned that, as a result of a surge in applications across the borough, there is a “pressing need” to introduce stronger controls.

A new supplementary planning document (SPD) is now out for consultation and would introduce measures that stop both clustering and the ‘sandwiching’ of family homes between HMOs. The proposals include a 10% concentration threshold within a 100-metre radius,  no HMOs on either side of a family home and a ban on three adjacent HMOs on the same street.

Reasonable limit

Council leader Cllr Eamonn O’Brien (pictured), told a cabinet meeting: “When you consider all three of them together, I think this is a fairly reasonable limit to set.

“I’m satisfied that’s probably above and beyond what other areas are doing and will have the desired effect of stopping entire areas from becoming over-dominated and concentrated with HMOs.”

He added that the sharp rise in applications had created “legitimate issues” for the wider housing market.

It does potentially limit the number of opportunities for larger families.”

“If we do have too many, it does change the housing market in particular places. It does potentially limit the number of opportunities for larger families.”

The council is also exploring an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights, forcing even small HMOs into the full planning process.

O’Brien told Bury Times he believes there is sufficient support for this and that, if endorsed, it could be implemented in “weeks, rather than months” due to the urgency of the situation.