Agenda item - HMO Enforcement Update

Report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached).

1)    That the contents of the report be noted.

22.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment and Culture which provided an update on enforcement investigations carried out in respect of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s). The report set out the current position in respect of those investigations.

22.2    It was noted that the then Economic Development and Culture Committee had agreed at its meeting on 9 March 2017, in response to a request received from Councillor Hill, that it would bring forward a progress report to a future committee meeting.

22.3    The Planning Manager, Applications, Nicola Hurley, explained that the Planning Enforcement Team had investigated a high number of complaints across the city covering all aspects of development and had also resolved a significant number of breaches of planning regulations during 2016-2017. 820 new cases had been received and 604 cases had been closed. Both of those figures represented a significant increase on previous years and this could be attributed in part to the significant increase in reports of unauthorised HMOs in the city.

22.4    At the time of Councillor Hill’s request and as reported to the Planning Committee in July 2017, at that time there had been 98 live HMO enforcement cases of which approximately 47 had been awaiting the outcome of decisions on planning applications; 12 enforcement notices had been issued of which 7 were in the appeal process. Four of the 12 notices issued since October 2016 had been served as a consequence of an application being refused.

22.5    Councillor Mears sought clarification regarding the number of officers in post and the allocation of enforcement cases in order to clear any backlog, she understood this stood at around 300 cases currently. Councillor Mears was aware that in her own ward alone there were a number of enforcement/potential enforcement issues awaiting allocation. It was confirmed that officers appointed in July were still in the process of being trained. The 

22.6    RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be noted.