Policy overhaul delays decision on shared house in Brighton

Labour councillor Daniel Yates, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean ward, sought a deferral in considering a planning application for 55 Auckland Drive, Brighton.

He wanted to see if it would comply with new “density” rules for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in the City Plan.

Brighton and Hove City Council is in the process of formally approving the City Plan Part Two.

Cllr Yates spoke out when the Auckland Drive scheme went before the planning committee.

He said the increasing number of family homes being turned into shared houses in his ward had meant fewer pupils at schools in the area and a loss of healthcare facilities.

Councillor Daniel Yates spoke out over the shared house

Currently, the Auckland Drive proposal by Rivers Birtwell, run by George Birtwell, 42, and 43-year-old Oliver Dorman, fits with council policy.

This is that no more than ten per cent of properties within a 50-metre radius of a proposed HMO can be shared homes.

A report to councillors said only eight per cent of homes within a 50-metre radius of 55 Auckland Drive were HMOs.

The council is expected to adopt the new policy as part of the City Plan Part Two at a meeting of the full council in October.

It limits new HMOs to 20 per cent in a neighbourhood known as a "contiguous output area".

It would also prevent private homes from being “sandwiched” between shared houses and ban the creation of a block of three or more HMOs.

There are about 5,000 licensed HMOs in Brighton and Hove, housing students and workers who cannot afford their own flat or house.

Cllr Yates said the issue of “studentification” was first raised in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean and had led to policies to protect the area and others across the city.

He wanted to see the new 20 per cent rule applied by planning officials because other aspects of the policy, including quality and standard of accommodation, were used and given “due weight” in the report before the committee.

He said: “The policy is there to make sure we don’t have an impact on wider amenity, things like the availability of health and school facilities.

“School and health facilities have both been adversely affected in my term as a councillor within Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, specifically Lower Bevendean that’s lost all of its healthcare facilities, and has a threat of losing school places thrown upon it as well and subsequent threat to the school as a whole."

The decision over 55 Auckland Drive has been delayed

He was told the council’s planning department does not have the “mapping” technology yet to measure the information he requested.

But he argued the council has the data on HMOs and he could work out the information required that day.

Green councillor David Gibson, who represents Hanover and Elm Grove which is also covered by the same existing restrictions on new HMOs as Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, backed his request.

He said: “The important point for me is the density of HMOs, the 20 per cent criteria is quite a high bar and is very important.

“I wouldn’t want to support a recommendation without that information.”

Independent councillor Tony Janio said the committee should stick with the current rules.

He said: “If we had been judging the last ten years’ worth of planning decisions on City Plan Part Two, which might come in at some stage, we’d never get anything done.

“As far as I know, we’re going by the current regulations, which do not allow for this test.”

The committee agree by five votes to four to delay the decision until the new information was available.