Scarborough Town Council is urging North Yorkshire Council to introduce new planning rules to prevent family homes from being converted into shared accommodation without permission.
Should family homes in Scarborough require formal planning permission before being converted into shared accommodation?
Scarborough Town Council wants North Yorkshire Council to introduce an "Article 4 Direction" to stop properties becoming Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) without oversight.
Under current national legislation, property owners can carry out certain alterations and change a building's use without applying for formal planning permission. An Article 4 Direction removes these permitted development rights, meaning developers must submit a formal application for the local council to assess.
Town councillor William Stuart highlighted the scale of the issue in the coastal town.
He said:
"There are currently 130 properties on the register covering the former Scarborough borough council area and of these 115, 89% are in Scarborough town itself.
Of those 115, 61 that's over half are accommodating five or six people.
These properties have been converted from ordinary residential use without requiring planning permission, and that route remains available for further conversions."
Local planning guidelines were previously established to prevent an excessive concentration of shared housing. These included rules against adjoining HMOs or having more than three within a 200-metre stretch of street.
However, Councillor Stuart argued that the current framework is being completely bypassed by developers.
He said:
"The supplementary planning document, established specific principles intended to prevent excessive concentration.
No more than three HMOs within a 200-meter stretch of street. No adjoining HMOs. No residential property sandwiched between two HMOs. No more than 10% of residential properties within a 100-meter radius being HMOs.
Let me give you two current examples from Scarborough. Along a stretch of less than 200m, there are five HMOs, two are next door to each other. Only one needed planning permission, the other four have not required planning permission.
On another street, along a stretch of just 48m, there are four HMOs, all five or six persons, two of which are next door to each other.
This is a failure of the current system to properly address cumulative HMO growth."
North Yorkshire Council officials are actively reviewing the situation across multiple departments in response to the growing concerns.
Councillor Liz Colling, chair of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee, read the unitary authority's response.
She said:
"The council is aware of concerns in relation to the concentration of HMOs in some parts of Scarborough and she is actively being reviewed across a range of teams including housing, licensing and community safety.
While the planning system plays an important role in managing development, it is only one of several mechanisms available to address those concerns, which is why we continue to work with housing, community safety and policing colleagues to ensure a coordinated approach where required."
Implementing an Article 4 Direction is not an automatic ban on conversions, but it allows the council to review and potentially refuse proposals based on their local impact.
Councillor Colling explained that more data is needed before such a measure can be introduced to ensure it withstands legal scrutiny.
She said:
"The Council keeps the application of an Article 4 Direction in North Yorkshire Scarborough under review.
Government guidance requires any Article 4 Direction to be supported by robust evidence demonstrating that it is necessary and proportionate.
While there is evidence of local concern and some indicators of concentration, further evidence gathering would be required to support the introduction of a direction and to ensure that any decision is robust and defensible."
The authority noted that while the number of larger shared houses has remained stable, smaller conversions are much more difficult to track.
Councillor Colling said:
"On review of the number of larger HMOs in Scarborough, data shows that the numbers have remained broadly stable, but we recognize that the prevalence and impact of smaller HMOs are harder to establish.
The gap does not rule out an article four direction, but it means that introducing one immediately could expose the council to challenge and may not secure the desired outcome.
Nonetheless, an Article 4 direction is a power available to the Council, and it is being used by other local authorities. Therefore, we will continue to assess evidence from planning, licensing, housing, homelessness, community safety, and police data. These pieces of work will establish whether additional planning controls or policy interventions are justified and would be effective."
In the meantime, the council will rely on other enforcement methods to manage the impact of shared housing on local neighbourhoods.
Councillor Colling added:
"The council continues to use its existing powers where appropriate. Housing licensing schemes help ensure that properties are safe and well managed. Planning officers investigate allegations of unauthorized development and community safety partners work together to respond to antisocial behaviour and other issues raised by residents.
The council remains committed to understanding these concerns, working with partners to address issues where they arise, and keeping all available options including an article for powers under review."
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