Ipswich leaders debate on how to regulate HMOs in town

Councillor Richard Pope had asked Ipswich Borough Council to consider a motion on making a register of all HMO licencing applications in town, on Wednesday.

However, it was shot down by the Labour Party group, who argued that creating such a register would add "a lot of pressure" on the officers. 

Instead, portfolio holder for planning and development Councillor Carole Jones said that she has written to the secretary of state Angela Rayner, minister for housing Matthew Pennycook and Ipswich MP Jack Abbott calling for a change in planning policy. 

The motion was shot down by Labour members at the council. (Image: Newsquest)

Councillor Richard Pope brought forward the motion to discuss HMOs.  (Image: Archant) Mr Pope, along with the Conservative Group leader Councillor Ian Fisher argued that this is not a political motion and instead wants to discuss how to regulate HMOs in town. 

Mr Pope said: "It is not that we think that HMOs are not necessary, everyone at some point has lived in an HMO. 

"But there is a need to look into HMOs and regulate them in Ipswich, and we cannot regulate what we don't know."

Article 4 began on June 1 in Ipswich.  (Image: Google Maps) Article 4 has been in place since June 1 in certain areas of Ipswich, following a motion passed by Ipswich Borough Council to review HMOs with less than six bedrooms in October 2023. 

The directive ensures that all developers who wish to turn a house into an HMO in parts of the town will need to seek planning permission, no matter the number of occupants.

Councillor Carole Jones said that she has written to the Secretary of State calling for a change to planning permission.  (Image: Charlotte Bond)However, Mrs Jones said that while she agrees with greater regulation on this issue, she believes noting the amount of work officers had to do while implementing Article 4.

"I think what we need is a change to national regulations which state that every new HMO should send an application to the committee," she added. 

Other councillors suggested that Mrs Jones write to the Local Government Association (LGA) to make this topic a national campaign. 

Councillor Oliver Holmes said that he is glad Mrs Jones has written to the relevant authorities. (Image: IBC) Liberal Democrat councillor Oliver Holmes added: "We have sympathy for the rationale behind the motion, and this was discussed last year and we found that the planning policy was too restrictive.

"So, I am pleased that Cllr Jones is writing to several people with regards to changing this."

When the motion went to vote, Labour councillors voted against, while Conservative councillors voted in favour of it and Lib Dems abstained.