The fate of a proposal to convert a shop into a six-bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at 1726-1728 Pershore Road, Cotteridge, south Birmingham, remains unresolved as the planning committee opts to defer its decision.
While residents and Birmingham MP Al Carns have voiced strong objections, citing an over-concentration of HMOs and concerns that they threaten community cohesion, councillors are divided on the issue.
Mr Carns highlighted worries about potential anti-social behaviour linked to tenants, resonating with community anxieties about the growing number of HMOs. Councillor Gareth Moore expressed skepticism, emphasizing that the city already has enough HMOs and questioning the justification for another. Similarly, Councillor Colin Green advocated for converting properties back to family housing, underscoring the nuisances often associated with HMOs.
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However, Councillor Martin Brooks cautioned against simply rejecting the application as it stands. He stressed the need for a strategic, city-wide approach to addressing HMO standards and associated concerns, noting the likelihood that refusal could be overturned on appeal.
Councillor Jane Jones offered a balanced perspective, acknowledging the high volume of daily complaints but also recognizing that Birmingham’s housing situation “couldn’t cope without them.” She stressed the importance of responsible landlords providing adequate support for tenants.
Planning committee chair, Councillor Lee Marsham, distinguished between HMOs and “exempt accommodation,” the latter housing vulnerable adults such as the homeless, ex-prisoners, and those overcoming addiction. He argued that exempt accommodation poses a far greater challenge for the city than HMOs.
A council officer pointed to the difficulty in regulating tenant behavior and stressed the importance of diversity in housing types to meet the city’s varied needs. With these complexities in mind, the committee agreed to defer the decision until further details about the landlord’s proposed management of the HMO can be obtained.
Supporting documentation reveals that only just over seven percent of homes within 100 meters of the site are HMOs, a figure within acceptable policy limits which caps HMOs at ten percent in local areas. Additionally, the proposed HMO would not constitute exempt accommodation.
Concerns about anti-social behavior were addressed with input from West Midlands Police, which raised no objections related to the change of use. The council concluded there is no evidence to suggest the proposal would increase crime or anti-social conduct.
The planning committee’s deferral signals a cautious approach, reflecting the ongoing tension between balancing housing needs and protecting community well-being in Birmingham.