LABOUR CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Labour has this week launched a bid to protect local neighbourhoods from planning changes that will allow bad landlords to takeover residential communities and fill them with temporary bedsits.

I have signed two motions in the House of Commons today calling on Housing Minister Grant Shapps not to repeal changes to the planning legislation requiring all Houses in Multiple Occupation to have planning permission. The changes, which would otherwise have passed unopposed, will now be debated.

Under changes to the law brought in by the Labour Government in January, local authorities were given new powers to make private landlords converting family homes into shared houses apply for planning permission. The new Housing Minister last week laid down new regulations, which if they remain unchallenged, will mean the repeal of this legislation.

Two Early Day Motions laid down by Harriet Harman MP, Leader of the Opposition, and Shadow Housing Minister John Healey call on the Government to annul the new regulations.

The Government’s plans will tie the hands of councils preventing them from controlling the spread of bedsit barons.

In Derby there are serious consequences to the unregulated proliferation of HMOs. Not only do these large shared houses pose major problems for residents in terms of noise, parking and rubbish collection, but unsuitable conversions also mean that many students and low-paid workers have to live in cramped, poorly maintained and often unhealthy or even dangerous homes.

Dr Richard Tyler, Coordinator of the National HMO Lobby, which represents Residents’ Associations across the UK welcomed the EDM, saying: “The National HMO Lobby received assurances from the Government prior to the election that the legislation would remain intact, and we are deeply concerned at the effect new proposals will have on communities.

“Un-managed concentrations of HMOs de-stabilise local communities, and make it even harder to address the problems they cause for residents and tenants alike.”

The Government’s attempt to repeal new planning legislation follows hard on the heels of their decision in June to scrap the National Register of Landlords, which allowed tenants to make basic checks on prospective landlords and local authorities to better enforce lettings rules, the legal requirement for a written tenancy agreement, and the regulation of letting and management agents. All of these pieces of legislation were brought in earlier this year by the Labour Government to protect tenants and communities from rogue landlords.

This is yet another example of the disastrous legislative programme being pursued by the ConDem coalition and demonstrates how unfit they are to govern this country.