The review is taking place following a discussion at a recent meeting of the new Bath City Forum on the wider issue of student accommodation in the city, and will focus on two main areas: The standard and condition of HMOs in the city; and how the Council can better manage the growth of HMOs in the city.
As part of the review, the Council will be seeking views on HMO provision so that they can be better managed in the interests of tenants, landlords and the wider community.
Part of the review will be looking at evidence for whether existing controls on the number and density of HMOs in the Oldfield Park area of the city need to be amended or extended to ensure the right balance is maintained between HMOs and ordinary homes throughout the city.
The findings of the review will then be reported back to the Cabinet and the Bath City Forum and will feed into any proposed changes to the way in which HMOs are managed in the city.
Councillor Liz Richardson (Conservative, Chew Valley North), Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, said: “Looking at how to address this issue is a key priority for the Cabinet. HMOs affect a wide variety of people – ranging from residents living nearby, to lower income residents including students, young professionals, those receiving housing support and vulnerable single people – for whom HMOs may be their only option for affordable housing. We want to ensure that those living in HMOs, as well as those living in the local neighbourhood, can enjoy a good quality of life.
“It’s important to recognise that HMOs are an important part of the housing supply. Our concerns are to manage these better both in terms of numbers and locations but also in terms of the quality of accommodation. We’re therefore keen to determine whether further actions are needed to be taken in managing the potential growth of HMOs, as well as their standard and quality across the city.”
The review will consider the development plans for both Bath Spa University and the University of Bath, including their future plans for student accommodation, in order to review the current Article 4 Direction and accompanying Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The Council’s aim is to ensure a fair balance that enables Bath’s universities and colleges to fulfil their ambitions whilst also ensuring an effective community balance is maintained.
As part of the review, the Council will be encouraging people to have their say and come forward with their views. Further details of how you can get involved will be announced in due course.