St Helens considers additional HMO licensing scheme

Cllr Woodward told councillors on Wednesday that the council would "shortly" implement licensing for all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), including smaller properties which currently do not require a licence.

But St Helens Borough Council has since confirmed that officers are only considering whether an additional licensing scheme should be introduced.

The authority said there is currently no confirmed cabinet report or implementation date.

Speaking at Wednesday night's council meeting, Cllr Woodward said the council was preparing to use its licensing powers as part of its efforts to tackle HMOs across the borough.

Council leader George Woodward made the announcement at Wednesday's council meeting (Image: St Helens Council)

He said the council was going to introduce "selective licencing" measures.

He added: "Currently, in St Helens Borough, small HMOs do not require a licence to operate.

"And thus, we don't actually have a clear record, we don't have visibility exactly of how many and where these HMOs actually are located."

Cllr Woodward said that "all HMOs will soon require a licence through the council".

He added that landlords would have to pay a fee and meet minimum requirements associated with the licence.

But the council has now clarified that the proposal is not yet at that stage.

A spokesperson for St Helens Borough Council said officers had been asked to consider the potential introduction of an additional HMO licensing scheme, which could apply to smaller HMOs not currently covered by the mandatory scheme.

They said: "Before any decision can be made, the council must compile an evidence base demonstrating that a significant proportion of properties within the proposed scheme are associated with issues such as poor housing conditions, management failures, complaints, enforcement activity, anti-social behaviour, environmental nuisance or other housing-related concerns linked to HMOs."

The council currently operates the national Mandatory HMO Licensing Scheme.

This applies to larger HMOs occupied by five or more people.

The authority said that, if its evidence base demonstrates a need for additional licensing, a report would then be presented to Cabinet seeking approval to undertake a public consultation.

The Housing Act 2004 requires local authorities to consult people likely to be affected by a proposed licensing scheme and consider representations received before a decision is made.

The council spokesperson added: "As the evidence base is being developed, there is no confirmed Cabinet report or implementation date at this stage."

The potential licensing changes would come alongside separate planning controls being introduced by the council.

The authority is already pursuing an Article 4 Direction which will remove permitted development rights for certain smaller HMOs.

This means relevant changes of use will require planning permission, allowing residents the opportunity to comment on planning applications.

Cllr Woodward told councillors the Article 4 Direction and potential licensing changes would give the council greater control over HMOs.

He said the licensing system would provide "much greater visibility" and allow the authority to take a "data-driven approach" to managing housing.