LLANDUDNO'S HOLIDAY ACCOMODATION ZONES AND HMOS
Conwy County Borough Council are reviewing their county wide planning strategy, and part of this review includes their policies around Houses of Multiple Occupation and Llandudno's Holiday Accommodation Zone.
Houses of Multiple Occupation are usually flats with shared bathrooms and kitchens similar to much privately rented student accommodation. At the moment the council restricts the development of new HMOs in an effort to drive up the standard of privately rented accommodation and resists the conversion of hotels and guesthouses in parts of Llandudno into flats to ensure that the town retains a thriving hospitality trade.
We were very surprised to find out that the council's leadership plan to relax their planning rules, allowing more properties in Llandudno to be converted into HMOs. This potentially includes hotels and guesthouses, which risks a knock-on effect on the jobs and businesses supported by the local hospitality trade.
The council leadership's plans at a recent council meeting, and were delighted when the committee agreed not to support these new plans.
I only wish CCBC had a better track record of learning by their mistakes...........
Conwy Council bedsit ban to be lifted in bid to solve 'homelessness crisis'The rules around flats of 'multiple occupancy' will be eased as cabinet member accepted there was 'nervousness' around their impact on seaside towns
The council ban was initially introduced to regenerate seaside towns such as Colwyn Bay
after years of socio-economic problems linked to absent landlords, squalid conditions and crime. But cabinet member for housing Cllr Emily Owen proposed a lifting of the ban as a solution to its housing crisis, presenting a 100-page report by independent consultants ata meeting in Bodlondeb this week.
"I really do appreciate the previous desire to have as few HMOs as possible. I would like to acknowledge the wider changing circumstances relating to planning legislation, the increase in unaffordable housing, and the role HMOs have as part of a balanced housing solution. As with everything, things change all the time, and we need to be brave enough to adapt.
"I appreciate there is a lot of nervousness regarding HMOs as they have proven to be difficult to manage in the past, but as with everything, times change, and the need for that lower market rent in Conwy is huge. We have a very large number of people in affordable housing need. HMOs would help meet this need in some circumstances."
The same report was rejected by the economy and place scrutiny committee before Christmas. Cllr Owen said she understood the concerns of having "streets full" of HMOs but said rules introduced as part of the plans would prevent such an over-concentration.
As part of the plans, limits will be put on how close HMOs can be in terms of their radius from one another. Two HMOs also won?t be allowed to ?sandwich? another residential property.
Cllr Owen said the policy change would instead give Conwy more control, rather than losing appeals made by developers to the planning inspectorate. Cllr Owen added, ?It is absolutely not reverting back to how things were.?
She said all large HMOs would need to have a management plan, including an upper limit of residents.
full story
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-council-bedsit-ban-lifted-25947298
