Council leader slams HMO plans with claims they're not what South Tyneside 'needs'

South Tyneside’s new council leader has signalled the door is slamming shut on the opening of new multiple occupation houses – insisting they are not what the borough needs.

Celebrating four planning applications for HMOs being rejected by councillors, Paul Mackings said it was the right step forward – with “genuinely affordable homes” a greater priority.

The Reform councillor for Whiteleas insisted he wanted “the right homes being built in the right places” and better provision of quality social housing.

He did not reveal how his housing goals would be achieved but said HMOs, which have proved increasingly controversial, were not the answer.

In a statement on social media site Facebook and a second via his town hall office, Cllr Mackings revealed his delight that the applications had been rejected.

And he praised the Reform-dominated planning committee, which met on Tuesday (NOTE -May 26), for striking them down after council officers had recommended they be approved.

On Facebook, he said: “I am pleased to report that all 4 HMO applications which were before the South Tyneside Council Planning Committee this morning were rejected.

“All Reform UK Councillors in attendance voted against all 4 applications.

“South Tyneside needs genuinely affordable homes, a better provision of quality social housing and the right homes being built in the right places, not more HMOs.”

And in an overlapping statement, released by his office, he added: “We also have important planning controls in place, including Article 4 directions, which give the Council stronger powers to manage and limit the spread of HMOs where there is an over-concentration and to help protect the character of our communities.”

The HMO applications were in Armstrong Terrace and Pembroke Terrace, both near the West Park, South Shields, and Albert Road and Surrey Street, in Jarrow.

The Armstrong Terrace applicant wanted to turn a ground-floor flat into a three-bed HMO, and Pembroke Terrace would have become a five-bedroom abode.

In total, 44 objections were lodged by residents over the Armstrong Terrace proposal, while 37 were submitted regarding Pembroke Terrace.

The Surrey Street application for a six-bed property had faced a 480-signature protest petition, and the Albert Road proposal was for a five-bed property.

Cllr Kate Owens-Palmer, South Tyneside Alliance Group representative for Westoe, one of only two non-Reform planning committee members, opposed at least two of the HMOs.

She said: “There is already I feel a high number of HMOs, whether licensed or unlicensed, in this area.

“The whole lot of it is changing the character of the area, it really is, we’re finding that so many of our old Victorian terraces are turning into HMOs and being used for this purpose, and they weren’t designed for so many people.”

HMOs have drawn increasing fire from South Tyneside residents and councillors in the past 12 months, with the council clamping down on them late last year.

In November, the council's Cabinet approved the introduction of an immediate borough-wide Article 4 Direction, a planning measure aimed at managing the growth of small HMOs.

It meant all new HMOs now need planning permission, regardless of their size. Previously, only larger developments required this.

HMOs are properties where three or more unrelated people share facilities like kitchens or bathrooms.

The Cabinet’s decision followed a significant rise in recent HMO conversions, many without the council’s knowledge due to current national rules.