At the last full meeting of Stockport Council, Labour councillors moved a motion calling for consideration of a technical measure to control any increase in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) if their number or concentration rises to levels which may cause problems for residents. Whilst Stockport currently falls well below the levels where such concerns might arise, all councillors agreed that vigilance over this is important.
Ahead of the meeting, which ended before a full debate on this issue was possible, the Liberal Democrat administration had arranged for the latest draft of the Local Plan to be updated to include such a provision.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Helen Foster-Grime, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing, said: “If the draft Local Plan is agreed after public consultation, this simple change will enable communities to have their say. We’re also determined to tackle rogue landlords whether in the smaller homes which aren’t licensed or HMOs where several households live. We urge anyone facing concerns contact our Housing Standards Team. The council is keen to help.”
Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Hunter added: “The Local Plan guides development in Stockport and sets out the long term future for the Borough. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes in drafting our new Local Plan and we hope it will really set the scene for many improvements in the years to come. The new Liberal Democrat administration have listened on this particular issue and we have already acted.”
