Purpose

The purpose of
this report is to secure additional funding to appoint to a
temporary position within the Planning Policy Team, to lead the
development of an Article 4 direction in relation to
HMOs. 
This position is proposed to be a stand-alone project bespoke
position reporting to the Planning Implementation
Manager.

Content

RESOLVED that the Cabinet
recommended to Council that additional funding of £150,000 be
provided towards a temporary position and associated activities to
seek to bring forward an Article 4 in respect of Houses of Multiple
Occupation (HMOs).
 
Reasons for
decision
The temporary position, within the Planning
Policy Team, would lead the development of an Article 4 declaration
in relation to HMOs. There was currently no budget assigned to the
Planning Team to facilitate this role but it was anticipated that
an Article 4 could be progressed within a cost in the region of
£150,000.
 
Alternative Options
Considered

1.    
The alternative option available
was to not fund this position. This would result in either the
Article 4 option not being investigated or it being brought forward
via alternative means. Given the public commitment, both at officer
and political level, to take this matter forward it was not
recommended that this role was not filled.

2.    
If additional funding was not
supported, but there remained a clear mandate to proceed with this
work, consideration would need to be given as to where the resource
would come from. It was anticipated that the project, to ensure any
outcome was robust and susceptible from challenge, would take in
excess of one year. This timescale conflicted with the work being
undertaken in the Planning Policy team to deliver both the Local
Plan and Development Frameworks in a timely manner, both of which
were corporate priorities. The existing planning policy team is
‘thin’ and a deviation of resource from these
priorities to an Article 4 Direction project was likely to cause
delays in the delivery of these key priorities.