Agenda item

The Council considered a report of the Corporate Director, Regeneration and Economic Development regarding the Article 4 Direction for Durham City made on 17 September confirmed through delegated powers, the making of a new Article 4 Direction to cover Framwellgate Moor, Pity Me and Newton Hall and the adoption of an Interim Policy on Student Accommodation (for copy see file of Minutes).

In moving the report Councillor N Foster, Portfolio Holder for Economic Regeneration informed Council that the issue was how best to accommodate the student population of Durham and this had been a key issue for Durham for a long time.  Students were very important to Durham as was the need to maintain sustainable communities.

In seconding the report Councillor Tomlinson, Portfolio Holder for Assets, Strategic Housing and Rural Issues informed Council that the Article 4 Direction and Interim Student Accommodation Policy would provide a mechanism for the number of students in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and the quality of accommodation.

Councillors Hopgood and Wilkes thanked officers for responding to consultation by extending the Article 4 Direction to cover the Framwellgate Moor, Pity Me and Newton Hall areas and thanked the Portfolio Holder for taking the matter to consultation.

Councillor Martin, while welcoming the report, informed Council that many houses in Durham had already been converted into HMOs and that planning approvals had been granted for up to 4,000 Purpose Built Student Accommodation beds because no policy had been in place.

Councillor Foster thanked Councillors Hopgood and Wilkes for their support.  The vast majority of HMOs in Durham pre-dated the Council.  The Council was governed by the NPPF when determining planning applications, which presented a bias in favour of development, and where the Council had refused applications these refusals had been overturned on appeal by the developers.

Resolved:

That the recommendations contained in the report be approved.