Petition Gains Support for HMO Planning Rules

More than 1,600 people have backed a petition calling for smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Wokingham to need planning permission.

Wokingham resident Gerry Allan launched the petition to force the council to tighten controls on homes rented by three to six unrelated people who share facilities.

Currently conversions to HMOs for seven or more people need planning permission, but three-to-six person HMOs can in some cases be created without it.

Mr Allan wants an Article 4 Direction to remove the automatic right so conversions to three-to-six person HMOs would have to go through planning.

The petition says this would let the council and neighbours consider parking, rubbish, noise and how many HMOs are already in an area. "We believe residents should have a voice before these changes happen, not after."

Organisers say the petition has passed its 1,500 signature target and will be presented to a full meeting of Wokingham Borough Council; it had 1,604 signatures at the time of writing.

The council warned HMOs are an important source of "relatively affordable and flexible accommodation" and said Article 4 Directions need strong evidence and must fit national planning policy, which does not generally support borough-wide moves.

It added: "Where there is evidence of localised impacts arising from concentrations of HMOs, an Article 4 Direction may be considered."

The campaign follows councillors rejecting plans last month to turn a family home near the University of Reading into an HMO, despite planning officers recommending approval.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter