'Family area' - Nearly 300 people call for six-bed HMO plans in Jarrow to be scrapped
Almost 300 people have backed calls to reject plans for a HMO in Jarrow.
Residents have expressed their concerns at plans to create a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Jarrow and have called on South Tyneside Council to reject them.
According to supporting planning documents, the HMO development would include four bedrooms with en-suite facilities and two bedrooms with off-suites.
The planning application from company YP2 SPV1 Ltd states work on the York Street HMO conversion started in late-December 2025 but has not been completed.
‘This has always been a safe, quiet, family area’
Lee McDonald, who lives in Jarrow, has launched a petition to call for the plans to be rejected after he and other local residents have expressed their concerns.
The 42-year-old commented: “The property stood empty for ages and then out of the blue, building work started and naturally a lot of the neighbours were concerned.
“My main concern is that I’m still suffering from the impact of a brain injury which causes me to be noise sensitive so I moved to an area that I know is quiet, so this has increased by anxiety.
“There is also stress among residents about the lack of parking and if approved, this HMO has the potential to bring another six cars, if not more, to the street.
“I think the biggest problem is the unknown about who could end up living there if does become a HMO.
“Don’t get me wrong, the people could be lovely but there is a lot of elderly people and families living in the area and a HMO doesn’t really fit in with that.
“I hope the planning committee take into account that this has always been a safe, quiet, family area.”
At the time of writing, 280 people have signed Lee’s petition to call for the plans to be rejected by South Tyneside Council.
You can Lee’s petition by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-conversion-of-116-york-street-to-a-hmo.
HMOs are not what South Tyneside needs
Cllr Paul Mackings, the Leader of South Tyneside Council, has previously signalled that the door is slamming shut on the opening of new HMOs and has insisting they are not what the borough.
The Reform UK 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.
HMOs have drawn increasing fire from residents across South Tyneside and borough 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.
For more information on the HMO plan or to track its progress, visit South Tyneside Council's planning portal website and search for reference 260009.
A decision on the planning application is expected following a council consultation exercise.