Neighbours' anger at 'street of multiple occupation'

MP backing calls for planning rules change

- Kerry Ashdown

THE number of former family properties being turned into houses of multiple occupation has reached 'saturation level' in one city area.

Issues over the increase in HMOs were raised at the latest meeting of Hartshill and Harpfields Residents' Association. It comes as another property in Claridge Road can be turned into an eight-bed HMO.

Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell, below, has called on Stoke-on-Trent City Council to introduce a measure that removes permitted development rights on HMO conversions, meaning a planning application would be required before work takes place.

He says a curb on such rights is 'rightly demanded' by neighbours.

Amanda Poulson, who chaired the residents' association meeting, said: "We feel we are getting overrun and getting to saturation level. HMOs are depleting our community spirit. We have problems with parking, anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, and wheelie bins being left out. A lot of the buildings are big and hold a lot of our past for Hartshill. When the HMOs go in they take some of the history out.