Houses in Multiple Occupation planning policy consultation
Consultation background
We are consulting on proposals to change our planning policy on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). An HMO is a shared house occupied by three or more unrelated people as their main or only residence, sharing basic facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. HMOs are an important type of housing in Exeter, including for students and young professionals.
In some parts of Exeter, the Council has a restriction in place that affects the ability to convert regular houses to HMOs. This is because concentrations of student HMOs can lead to issues associated with ‘imbalanced communities’ and a lack of permanent residents. The restriction is organised through a planning tool called an Article 4 Direction and means that planning permission is needed to convert a regular house to an HMO.
Our existing Article 4 Direction currently covers an area of the city close to the University of Exeter’s Streatham and St Luke’s campuses. We also have an HMO Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – a document that explains some of the planning issues we consider when making decisions on planning applications to convert regular houses to HMOs within the Article 4 area.
Have your say
From 22 May to 3 July we are consulting on options to change the area covered by the Article 4 Direction where restrictions on HMOs apply. We are also consulting on some proposed changes to the HMO SPD and the evidence behind our proposals.
View and have your say on our proposals online
We encourage you to respond to the consultation online. However, reference copies of the consultation documents and the consultation survey are also available at:
- Exeter City Council Customer Service Centre, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter (Monday to Friday, 9.00-14.00)
- Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter
- Pinhoe Library, Main Road, Pinhoe, Exeter
- St Thomas Library, Church Road, St Thomas, Exeter
- Topsham Library, Nancy Potter House, Nelson Close, Topsham
Please check library opening times.
If you need a paper copy of the consultation documents or survey, please contact the Local Plans team on 01392 265080 or email planning.policy@exeter.gov.uk. If you need the consultation documents provided in an alternative format, please get in touch. Requests will be considered on a case by case basis.
Please send all response surveys or other correspondence to:
Local Plans Team: City Development
Exeter City Council, Civic Centre
Paris Street, Exeter
EX1 1NN
Public exhibitions
We are holding exhibitions about the consultation on:
- 7 June, 13.00-19.00, Exeter Guildhall, High Street, EX4 3EB
- 13 June, 13.30-19.00, Newtown Community Centre, Belmont Park, EX1 2HQ
- 20 June, 13.00-19.00, St James Church Hall, Mount Pleasant Road, EX4 7AH