New rules for shared houses in Barwell and Earl Shilton

The controls, known as an Article 4 Direction, mean a planning application will be needed before a family home can be turned into a small, shared house, known as a House in Multiple Occupation or HMO, in the defined areas. Without an Article 4 Direction, this type of change can usually happen without a planning application. Existing lawful HMOs will not be affected.

Under national planning rules, immediate Article 4 Directions must be based on evidence and apply only to specific areas.

The move follows enquiries from residents, councillors and local communities about the number of shared houses in parts of Barwell and Earl Shilton. Issues raised include parking pressure, rubbish, noise and disturbance, and pressure on local services.

A similar Article 4 Direction for part of Hinckley town centre came into effect in May. At the same time, councillors gave officers delegated authority to consider action in other areas if concerns were raised, subject to consultation and evidence.

Concerns were subsequently raised about HMOs in Earl Shilton and Barwell, so officers consulted on plans for an Article 4 Direction covering a defined area in and around the two settlements.

More than 200 responses were received from residents, landlords, business owners and other stakeholders. Around 83% of those who answered the question supported the proposal, around 10% opposed it, and the rest were unsure.

Supporters said they wanted more control over future HMOs and more say on issues such as parking, rubbish and noise.

Stuart Bray, Leader of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views in the consultation. Your voice is important to help us get this right.

“A lot of people raised concerns about asylum accommodation in the borough, and I want to acknowledge that. It’s important to remember the Borough Council does not run the asylum accommodation programme. The Article 4 Direction is about making sure new HMOs in the area are properly planned and managed. I’ll be asking officers to continue keeping a close eye on this borough wide, and if we see similar pressures building up elsewhere, we’ll look to extend this into further areas.”

The new controls will apply to defined areas in and around Barwell and Earl Shilton from 14 August.

• Maps of the defined Article 4 Direction areas for Earl Shilton and Barwell can be viewed here:
  • Barwell - map with street list
  • Earl Shilton - map with street list
• Consultation responses to the proposed Article 4 Direction for Barwell and Earl Shilton can be read here: Article 4 Barwell and Earl Shilton - Consultation results