Progress on the consultation on the Use Classes Order is frustratingly slow.  However, it has not entirely ground to a halt, as the following two emails indicate (I have added the emphasis); what ‘soon’ means remains unclear!  Thanks to local resident groups in Southampton and in Newcastle for forwarding these.
 
(1) From: Cheryl Storrar, Office of John Denham MP [Secretary of State, DIUS]
Sent: 19 February 2009
To: Jerry Gillen, Highfields RA, Southampton
Subject: from John Denham MP
 
Thank you for your recent email.  Mr Denham recently met with Margaret Beckett [Secretary of State, CLG] to discuss the case for changes to the use classes order.  This is something that Mr Denham supported as a backbench MP for many years.  Mr Denham understands that there has been some delay in issuing the consultation.  This is due to some unrelated issues, it should however be forthcoming soon.
 
(2) Department for Communities and Local Government
Eland House Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU
Tel: 020 7944 3040 Fax: 020 7944 5891, E-Mail: iain.wright@communities.gsi.gov.uk
www.communities.gov.uk
 
Our Ref: WRNVR/000393/09
 
23 February 2009
Dear Councillor Armstrong [Newcastle City Council]
THE USE CLASSES ORDER AND HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION
Thank you for your e-mail of 7 January [ 2009 ] which outlined Newcastle City Council’s views about changes to the Use Classes Order (UCO) in relation to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and asked what the Government’s intentions with respect to HMOs and the UCO were.
We have recently published research work which looked at the issue of the UCO and HMOs. The research work was commissioned to identify good practice in areas that manage to cope relatively well with high concentrations of HMOs, to test whether these ideas could have a wider application in those areas which have difficulty with such issues and to determine whether, and if so what, planning policy is a suitable lever to tackle these problems.
The report can be found at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/evidencegatheringresearch
Once we have finished considering the report’s recommendations we will consult on possible options for change. I anticipate that this will be soon.
I hope this is useful.
(signed )
IAIN WRIGHT [Planning Minister]