Council urged to take legal action over Leeds student homes powers

Campaigners and councillors are calling on Leeds council to take legal action to prevent the spread of student houses. The Leeds HMO Lobby and Liberal Democrat councillors Martin Hamilton (Headingley ward) and Richard Brett (Burmantofts and Richmond Hill) want the council to apply for the reinstatement of powers that would force landlords to get planning permission if they want to turn family homes into shared houses. Until recently, councils already had these powers, but the government recently revoked them . These powers have been used in recent months in Leeds to control the spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in areas with large student populations, such as Hyde Park and Headingley. The councillors claim that the uncontrolled growth of shared houses in these areas has led to serious problems with noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour. 'Follow Manchester's lead' Manchester City Council recently announced that it would apply for an "Article 4 Direction" which would reinstate these powers and has Hamilton called for Leeds to follow Manchester's lead. He said: "It's disappointing that the government has overturned the powers we had to control the growth of shared houses. The unchecked growth of these houses in the past has blighted local communities in areas like Headingley and Hyde Park. "But Leeds City Council can apply for a legal order now to make sure that we get these powers back at the earliest opportunity. "Taking this action now will also send an important message to landlords that we are still committed to tackling the blight of HMOs." Councillor calls on government Former council leader Brett called on the coaltion government to 'do the right thing' He added: "It's not just North West Leeds that's affected by this legislation. Inner city East Leeds also has a large number of shared houses. It came as a big shock and disappointment when the government took away the powers that we'd been successfully using to control the number of these houses. "The government should do the right thing and let councils who want these powers back have them immediately. In the meantime, the council should act now to put pressure on the government and let landlords know that this is still an issue we take seriously." Dr Richard Tyler, from the Leeds HMO Lobby, said he fully supported the call for legal action by the Liberal Democrat councillors. He said: "The lobby is disgusted with the new government for reneging on election promises not to undo the HMO legislation by the last government. And their new legislation shows that their promotion of the Big Society - enabling local solutions to local problems - is simply a sham . "Regrettably, the use of Article 4 Directions, as advocated by the government, is not at all a simple and straightforward process." A council spokesman said: "The recent change introduced by the secretary of state is subject to a legal challenge and we are currently awaiting the outcome. We have been discussing with relevant ward members how we approach this topic and will make our decision based on these factors in due course." What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.