Houses in Multiple Occupation Consultation

In the past, a large number of people have written to us regarding the issue of Houses in Multiple Occupation throughout Freemantle Ward, raising a number of issues and concerns on the topic.

As you may know the council will be bringing in new planning rules (called an Article 4 Direction) on 23rd March 2012, that will make it necessary for planning permission to be obtained before existing family homes can be turned into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). These are rented properties with 3 - 6 unrelated people living there. Larger HMOs (6+ residents) have always required planning permission.

Over recent months the council has had a number of meetings with some residents associations, about having a policy to sit along side this new planning requirement, to help planners determine in which instances to give and refuse planning permission for HMOs. These meetings have been very helpful and we are grateful for all the input that has been have received from local people.

We want to bring to your attention that on 22nd December the council launched its formal consultation on the new planning policy. The details can be found online at: http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/policy/planningdocuments/hmo-spd.aspx. 

If you have comments please submit these before the consultation close date, which is 5pm on 1st February.

In short the policy suggests that there should be a maximum threshold of HMOs in a given area. It is proposed that for Freemantle Ward this threshold be set at 20%. New applications for an HMO that would take the number over 20%, or in an area that already exceeds 20%, would generally be refused. The percentage threshold will apply to a 40m radius (or a minimum of the closest 10 properties) from the property in question.

In addition to this, as your local councillors, we have been fighting hard to tackle issues rightly brought to our attention by local residents:

1. Improved parking standards for HMO’s. Under the new policy, if adequate parking is not provided this will also be grounds for refusal. New parking standards for planning application for flats and houses (non HMOs) came into effect on 26th September 2011 and this should also help prevent parking problems in the area from getting much worse, as new developments are built.

2. More purpose built accommodation for students. I am pleased that Southampton University is now looking to provide more purpose built student accommodation in the city, as this will also do a great deal to protect existing family housing in Freemantle Ward.

3. Extra resources for planning enforcement. An extra planning enforcement officer will be included as part of the February council budget. Extra resources into planning enforcement will help to ensure that developers who flout planning rules are brought to task.

We would urge you to have a look at the council’s consultation and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Councillors Jeremy Moulton, Michael Ball & Brian Parnell.

Houses In Multiple Occupation Decision

The Council’s Cabinet today confirmed a decision to implement planning rules which will give the council more control over the number and spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). This decision follows several months of consultation with residents groups, landlords and the universities. The rules which come into force on 23rd March 2012 will mean that family homes in Southampton will require planning permission before being able to be converted into HMOs. This is called an Article 4 direction.

Between now and 23rd March further work and consultation take place, looking at a suitable planning policy to sit alongside the Article 4 direction. This policy will also come into effect on 23rd March and will set out when it is suitable and not suitable for HMOs to be given planning permission. Areas like Freemantle are likely to have more protection as there are already large numbers of HMOs in the ward.

A Fair Deal For Council Tenants

It is widely accepted across the political spectrum that Southampton gets a rotten deal from the government. Each year the government in real terms cuts a large chunk out of the council's budget. The net effect of this after ten years of Labour is a council tax that has more than doubled.

The new Conservative council in Southampton is working hard to improve the city and to get a fair deal from the government. As well as investment in our roads, in our local schools and in making our streets safer we need greater investment in housing. We also need a to get a fair deal from government for our council tenants. You would imagine that the rents tenants pay would all be reinvested back into improvements to housing and related services. Sadly this is not the case and next year the government will take £5.8m out of the rents that our tenants in the city pay.

In effect the Labour government is making a profit out of our council tenants and they are denying the city the investment it needs to improve housing standards to the level that we would like. To add insult to injury, every year the government forces up the rents way above the rate of inflation. As I candidate for Parliament I am fighting for a fair deal for tenants and lobbying to get this money back. The new Conservative council is taking bold steps to improve housing in the city. For instance the extra £1.5m of investment into the Maybush and Millbrook Park estates and in the private rented sector, the extra £1.8m for free home insulation.

We could do so much more if we also got back that £5.8m of tenants' money. Southampton has 18,000 council homes. That's over £300 extra investment per property in just one year! This is money that could be spent on cleaning, painting and decorating, new kitchens, bathrooms, improved heating and security.

As well as more investment for council homes it would also mean more work locally. The city council is working hard to be more supportive of local firms who wish to bid for such work. This would mean more local jobs at a time when families and businesses are struggling with the backdrop of the recession.

At the moment Southampton is losing out and I will fight in Parliament to redress the balance and to get a fair deal for the city.

Back Blogging... and Happy New Year!

It's been a very busy last few weeks and I have not had the chance to update my blog for a while. So now I am back I have plenty to update!

I was delighted to be selected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Southampton Test last month. Since then my work load has shot up with lots of local meetings in the city. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Freemantle Infant School

I have signed up as a School Governor for Freemantle Infant School. I have had one Governor's meeting so far and another is set for later this month. I was really impressed by the head teacher / Centre Director, Kevin Barnett and by all the school governors. They are all doing a fantastic job, both for the school and the local community as well. I am really pleased to be working with such a great bunch of people.

St John's Infant School

I spent an enjoyable lunch time at St John's School in the old town. I had a lovely Christmas dinner with the children and had the chance to talk about the forthcoming review of primary education in the city with teachers.

Protecting Family Housing
I have been working hard with local residents in objecting to inappropriate developments across Freemantle Ward. Over the Christmas period I met up with residents in Paynes Road who are objecting to the destruction of 2 family homes next to the Spitfire Antiques shop.

The new Conservative Council is bringing forward more local planning guidance to protect family housing in the city later this month. The Conservative Cabinet are due to approve a new Supplementary Planning Document which will strengthen our local planning powers.

Kentish Road / York Road Cut Way
My colleague, Cllr Michael Ball and I have been talking with residents and council officers about the problem of teenager gangs congregating and intimidating residents in the area and are seeking the views of people about how best to sort the problem.

One suggestion made is that a gating order be sought, that would restrict access to the pedestrian cut-through between Kentish and York Road. This proposal has been raised with Rights of Way (Planning), Community Safety and the Youth Service. The general consensus at present is that it is extremely difficult to gate the pathway. This is because at present there have not been enough reported incidents to support it being gated.

The pathway provides a short cut to the health centre and other facilities for many people who live in the area, so perhaps you may not favour it being cut-off. Elderly people in particular use the cut way and any alternative route would be longer.

However, Community Safety, the Police and Youth Service are aware of the ongoing problems with gangs in the area and are conducting intensive operations and continuous work in the area and have recently had some success with ‘catching’ some of the offenders and serving various orders on them.

We have put the issue on the agenda for the next Freemantle Inter-agency meeting. Community Safety and the Youth Services have been invited to attend to give their views. The Council lighting department has also been requested to look at the lack of lighting in the area to see if they can improve facilities.

Action Taken to Protect Family Housing

On Monday the new Conservative Cabinet approved an initial draft for new planning rules for the city.

Included are the following measures to protect and promote family housing in the city:

• Developments should seek to complement the character of the local area.
• There should be no net loss of family housing resulting from redeveloping a site. This is aimed a preventing a family house being replaced by tiny one bed room flats. If a family home is removed it needs to be replaced as part as part of the redevelopment.
• New developments should include at least 30% family housing.

These principles will also be enshrined in local supplementary planning guidance.

The document called the Core Strategy can be found on the city council website by clicking HERE.

The First 100 Days of Conservative Administration

Today is day 100 for the new Conservative administration on Southampton City Council. The Conservatives took minority control of the council following the May local elections which saw the Conservatives top the poll across the city and form Southampton's first Conservative Council in 23 years.

Since May the new administration has been working tirelessly to improve the city and modernise the city council.

An enormous amount of hard work has been done in the past 100 days and the new administration has not shied away from taking bold decisions.

We have brought the secondary education review to a successful close. £5m has been awarded to secondary schools across the city and an education charity, Oasis, has been appointed to run two new city academies, a move which will attract £50m of investment.

Four years of discussion over the future of council support services such as IT, property and customer services has been ended and the Council has signed a £290m agreement with Capita to deliver these services over the next ten years. The partnership will transform and modernise these services, attracting over £25m of private investment, saving the tax payer millions of pounds, whilst securing jobs and creating the prospect of new employment in the city.

The uncertainly over the future of Eastpoint has been brought to an end and a decision taken to help facilitate Itchen College's move to the site.

We have got to grips with the appalling state of the roads. The Lib / Lab legacy is a backlog of more than £500m in roads and pavements repairs! It is not going to be possible to find the money for this overnight but a strategy is being put in place to bring much greater investment into the roads.

The new administration is sticking to its election commitments. A pensioner council tax discount will be introduced next year. Tackling crime and disorder is a top priority for the administration and Council tax will be scrapped for Southampton people who sign up to become special constables in the city, to help make our streets safer. Free bus nation wide bus travel for seniors will be rolled out in April.

A citywide energy strategy is being put in place to make Southampton a greener city and to tackle carbon emissions over the next 20 years.

Policies are being finalised to protect family housing in the city.

Daft policies such as the laser lights have been scrapped and we put forward our own suggestion for a wow factor in the form of a bronze spitfire on the roundabout by the DeVere; a proposal which attracted overwhelming public support. We are also progressing our plans to build a city heritage centre in the west wing of the civic centre, to celebrate the titanic and the city's trams. We will insure the city's £150m art collection which was scandalously put at risk by previous administrations. We will also ensure that this wonderful treasure is not left gathering dust in the civic centre basement. We are committed to delivering an ice rink as soon as we can strike the right deal with a provider and agree the site.

Major city developments are being pushed ahead. Carnival is on site and a planning application will soon go in for the redevelopment of Northern Above Bar.

We will be bring forward our draft budget proposals in October this year so that there can be a full public discussion before the city sets its final budget in February. We know that unpopular decisions may have to be made but by bringing up issues early we will enable true consultation and then hopefully make the best decisions for the city.

All this is being achieved against a backdrop of chronic under funding of Southampton by the Government. We are lobbying hard for Southampton to receive its fair share but of late much of the money has been given to local authorities in the north of England.

Only 100 days have so far passed but decisions are being taken, and the ground work is being laid for a bright future for Southampton.

The Council Needs to Act Now To Promote Family Housing

On Wednesday (at the Housing Scrutiny Panel) the Council will be debating what can be done to promote more family housing in the city. There are some interesting papers on the Council Website. Click HERE.

Since 2000 over 80% of new properties built in Southampton have been flats.

We need to get the balance right between houses and flats in order to have sustainable communities.

A lot more also needs to be done to protect the character of attractive old buildings. Too many are being pulled down and replaced with ugly blocks of flats, with inadequate parking.

A few weeks ago I met with the head of planning and residents from Thornbury Avenue to discuss how the council could put in place more effective measures to protect against over development.

I am very keen to see development briefs drawn up for neighbourhoods. These could state what level of development should take place, and future planning applications would be judged against the criteria set out in these briefs.

UPDATE 27/02/07: This meeting has been postponed. Not fixed date as yet.