Labour activists in East Reading have welcomed a commitment given at Tuesday's Council meeting by Lead Councillor Tony Page to Redlands Labour candidate Kelly Edwards that new rules allowing local Councils to control the growth of Houses in Multiple Occupation, which come in today can be enforced immediately in Reading on the basis of existing Council policies.
Many streets in Redlands, Park, Church and Katesgrove Wards in particular have suffered from an uncontrolled spread of HMO's taking advantages of loop-holes in the planning system, but a new "use class" is being created and from now on any property which is going to house three or more residents who are not related or cohabiting will need planning permission.
Kelly Edwards says: "This new power is very welcome and I am pleased that Reading is going to be able to use it from Day 1, from 6 April, to stop the spread of HMO's and try and restore the character of many streets in Redlands in particular. I will be working with local residents to ensure any attempt to create an HMO in future is taken through the full planning process and they have the opportunity to make their views known."
But Labour's candidate for Reading East, Anneliese Dodds, who launched a campaign Tackling Rogue Landlords, Meeting Student Needs in October 2008 and has warmly welcomed the new powers, says Conservative proposals* to "amend the use classes order so that people can use land and buildings for any purpose allowed in the local plan" would not only scupper these new controls but also deprive local communities of the right to be consulted on and to influence many other changes in their neighbourhoods.
"What the Tories call 'unnecessary bureaucracy'," she says, "Labour regards as an essential safeguard for local people wanting to be consulted when someone wants to create a new HMO or boarding house, a new take-away or restaurant, a new shop, or whatever next door or just along the street. Many people do respond when they are consulted on planning applications for change of use, and it is disgraceful and anti-democratic for the Tories to suggest these should be scrapped."
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