Haringey Council finally makes a move to use new powers to control HMOs

Back in January 2010, I added the first of a series of posts on HoL highlighting the new powers made available to our Council to control the growth of HMOs in Haringey through the use of powers granted under "Article 4" of The 1995 Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development). Order

In October of that year, I posted again and also wrote to Cllr Canver asking when Haringey would avail itself of the new powers.

By last summer, we'd seen 21 councils taking full advantage of the powers and I asked again if it was time for urgent action.

At the time Haringey's response as explained by Cllr Canver was:

At this stage, our preferred option is to progress the additional licensing programme which is designed to increase improved and well managed smaller HMOs.

I was disappointed, as I explained on a post at the time. However, I'm pleased to be able to report that we heard at the Area Forum last week that the Council is now finally moving to apply to the Government for Article 4 powers.

The powers granted will allow Haringey to much more effectively manage the unplanned spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation (or HMOs) in our neighbourhoods and so control the downsides to our neighbourhoods and to the people who end up occupying substandard accommodation. 

The powers should come into force at the start of 2014. That's great news, but I can't help wishing  that the Council had made a move with the other councils who recognised the benefit of these powers back in 2010.