Agenda item

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or a matter within the Cabinet’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Monday 31 October 2011.

It was reported that there had been seven registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme and three requests to speak from councillors, all in relation to agenda item 5 (The Distribution and Condition of Houses in Multiple Occupation in York).

Mr Telfer, Chair of the Badger Hill Residents’ Association, spoke in support of Option C in the report, on the grounds that it offered the most effective means of managing HMOs without undue delay and would help address the issues facing communities such as Badger Hill by bringing the planning requirements for HMOs into line with other changes of use.

Niall McTurk, of the York Residential Landlords’ Association, expressed strong objections to the implementation of an Article 4 Direction, on the basis that it would not enable the Council to control the spread of HMOs but would restrict the availability of low cost accommodation, not just for students but for all lower paid residents of the City.  He handed his written comments to the Chair.

Catherine Odell, a resident of Badger Hill, spoke in support of Option C, which she considered was the only way to retain a balanced, diverse and sustainable community.  She noted that the University was not fulfilling its obligations under the Section 106 agreement with the Council to accommodate students on campus.

Leigh Hankinson, president of the York St John’s University Students’ Union, spoke in objection to the implementation of an Article 4 Direction, stating that there was no evidence that it would reduce the number of HMOs or address issues of litter, noise and parking.  He expressed students’ willingness to work collaboratively with the Council to find alternative solutions to these issues.

Trevor Dale, a commercial lettings agent, outlined the problems facing those on low incomes seeking rented accommodation in York, who often had no choice but to rent a room in a shared house.  In view of the potential effects of an Article 4 Direction on the City’s economy, he urged Members to commission a further impact analysis before reaching a decision.

Tim Ellis, of York University Students’ Union, spoke of the adverse effects that an Article 4 Direction would have on students, including increased rents and a shortage of housing, and stressed the need for a joint initiative to tackle the issues raised by residents.

Johanne Spittle, of Dennison Till, Solicitors, spoke on behalf of the York Chamber of Commerce.  She highlighted the importance of HMOs in providing accommodation for employees as well as students and urged Members to consider a more measured response to residents’ issues, as an Article 4 Direction would exacerbate the City’s housing shortage and increase commuting and congestion.

Cllr Barnes spoke as a ward member for Hull Road.  He voiced the concerns expressed to him by ward residents regarding the erosion of the character of certain streets by an excess of HMOs and ‘super houses’ taking property out of the family housing market.  He stressed the need for additional planning controls to ensure a balanced mix of housing and urged Members to support Option C.

Cllr Fitzpatrick also spoke as a ward member for Hull Road.  She re-iterated the points made by Cllr Barnes, stressing the importance of this issue to local residents and the need for an Article 4 Direction as part of an overall package of measures to ensure sufficient housing stock for families.

Cllr Warters spoke as ward member for Osbaldwick, in support of Option C.  He expressed the view that any policy on HMOs should restrict, and not just manage, student housing, and that the code of practice steering group should include local resident representatives.