Harrow (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A surge of planning applications could lead to HMOs across Harrow, as recent submissions prompt scrutiny of housing density and local development trends
It is suggested that some family residences be transformed into shared housing for several people.
A home where three or more unrelated persons share amenities like a kitchen or restroom is known as an HMO. Class C4 allows small HMOs to accommodate up to six individuals. Bigger shared houses with seven or more occupants are classified as sui generis and need complete planning approval.
A design for 10 Wood End Avenue in South Harrow, where the applicant wishes to transform a single-family property into an eight-person HMO, is one of the newly proposed HMOs.
A different proposal seeks to convert 104 Byron Road in Wealdstone from a modest C4 HMO to a larger shared property in the sui generis category, which would accommodate more residents than are now allowed.
Expanding current HMOs is the focus of other applications. The applicant wants to upgrade bin and bike storage, landscaping, and occupancy at 21–23 The Bridge in Wealdstone from 10 to eleven. A plan to transform a modest HMO with up to six tenants into a larger ten-person residence is being considered for 2 Drummond Drive in Stanmore, Harrow.
While an application for 3 Randon Close in Harrow would raise the number of occupants from six to eight with new storage and landscaping improvements, a plan has been submitted for 18 Richmond Gardens in Harrow Weald to permit a seven-person HMO.
On the Harrow Council planning webpage, every application is still marked as “pending consideration.”
Which Harrow wards have the most recent HMO planning applications?
The Harrow wards with the most recent HMO planning operations include South Harrow, Wealdstone, Stanmore, Harrow Weald, and areas around Rayners Lane. Notable cessions in these wards include operations for new or expanded HMOs converting family homes, with proffers aiming for over to 8 inhabitants in some cases.
These wards have also been the focus of consultations on licensing schemes and implicit Composition 4 Directions to control growth of HMOs due to enterprises around casing viscosity and community impact.
The council maintains lists and registers of certified HMOs city-wide, which presently include over 500 obligatory and fresh licences, plus over 1,400 picky licences primarily in Edgware and Wealdstone areas. These areas are crucial in council planning considerations and in managing HMO growth via licensing and planning policy.