Model Responseto the government consultation on HMOs
The following is an outline of a possible letter in response to the government’s consultation on HMOs. Local residents could complete and send this letter as it stands, or use it as the basis for a fuller response.
To: Susan Turner, From: ……………………………………..Planning System Improvement Division,Department for Communities and Local Government, ………………………………………..Zone 1/J10,Eland House, ………………………………………..
Bressenden Place
,
London SW1E 5DU date ………………………………….
Dear Ms Turner
I have lived in …………………. for ……………. years, and I am very distressed that in recent years, my neighbourhood has been seriously affected by increasing numbers of Houses in Multiple Occupation.
I am writing in response to the Government consultation on planning responses to the problems associated with Houses in Multiple Occupation. I realise that you will be getting detailed responses to your consultation document from various sources, including resident-based organisations trying to get this issue tackled. But as a resident living in an area that has become dominated by numbers of homes occupied as HMOs, I wanted to stress how serious an impact this has had on our community, and how important it is that my local council has powers at its disposal to tackle the problems. I believe that the planning system offers the correct way to tackle many of these problems, and I don’t believe it is too onerous on either councils or property owners to comply with changes that would permit a degree of control over these properties. In our neighbourhood we have had to endure ………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Option One of the consultation doesn’t give councils any powers over HMOs at all. And Option Three makes powers available only on special conditions. Only Option Two provides all councils with powers which they can choose to use where they are needed, or not at all.
I hope you can take my views into consideration. I am sending a copy of this to my local MP, Don Foster, so that he is aware of my interest in this consultation.
Yours faithfully ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Send your response to Susan Turner by 7 August 2009. Send it to the above postal address, or by email to UCOHMOConsultation@communities.gsi.gov.uk (subject: HMO Consultation).
