We, the undersigned residents and supporters of the community of Pilsley, call upon North East Derbyshire District Council, as the Local Planning Authority, to investigate and bring forward an Article 4 Direction covering Pilsley, or those parts of Pilsley where the evidence demonstrates it is necessary, to remove permitted development rights for the change of use of dwellinghouses (Use Class C3) to small Houses in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4).

We ask the Council to undertake the necessary evidence gathering and assessment to determine whether an Article 4 Direction is justified in order to protect the residential amenity, character and wellbeing of the Pilsley community and to ensure that the future development of HMOs can be appropriately considered through the planning process.

Why We Are Petitioning

Residents are concerned about the potential impact that an increasing concentration of HMOs could have upon parts of Pilsley.

While we recognise that well-managed HMOs can provide an important form of housing, we believe that an excessive concentration of HMOs within a relatively small residential community has the potential to change the character and balance of neighbourhoods and create additional pressures upon residents and local services.

Potential concerns include:

• Ensuring our Women and Children are kept safe;
• increased concentrations of HMOs within established residential areas;
• loss of traditional family housing;
• increased pressure on on-street parking;
• increased numbers of occupants and vehicles associated with individual properties;
• waste storage and refuse management;
• noise and disturbance;
• increased turnover of occupants;
• potential impacts upon neighbouring properties and residential amenity; and
• the cumulative effect of multiple HMOs within a concentrated geographical area.

What We Are Asking the Council to Do

We therefore request that North East Derbyshire District Council:

1. Undertakes an assessment of the number, location and concentration of existing HMOs within Pilsley.
2. Reviews relevant planning, housing, licensing, enforcement, environmental health, anti-social behaviour and other available evidence relating to HMOs within the area.
3. Assesses the potential cumulative impact of further C3 dwellinghouses being converted to C4 HMOs under permitted development rights.
4. Determines whether the evidence demonstrates that an Article 4 Direction is necessary to protect local amenity and the wellbeing of Pilsley.
5. Identifies the appropriate geographical area within Pilsley to which an Article 4 Direction should apply, based upon the evidence collected.
6. Subject to the evidence supporting such action, commences the statutory process necessary to introduce an Article 4 Direction removing the permitted development right for changes of use from Use Class C3 dwellinghouses to Use Class C4 small HMOs.
7. A full register of all HMOs which includes their approximate geographical location, categorisation between Migrant HMOs and non-migrant HMOs
8. A full register of HMO occupants and identification if they are on any kind of watch / warning list.  

What an Article 4 Direction Would Achieve

The purpose of this petition is not to seek a blanket ban on Houses in Multiple Occupation as we understand HMOs can be used for housing Students etc.

Instead, an Article 4 Direction would mean that within the designated area, a proposed change of use from a dwellinghouse to a small HMO would require a planning application.

This would provide North East Derbyshire District Council with greater ability to consider the individual and cumulative planning impacts of proposed HMOs, including their effect upon residential amenity, the character of the area, parking and other relevant planning considerations.

Applications would continue to be considered individually and determined in accordance with relevant planning policies and material planning considerations.

Our Request

We, the undersigned, therefore call upon North East Derbyshire District Council to formally investigate the case for introducing an Article 4 Direction for Pilsley and, where supported by robust evidence, commence the necessary process to introduce the Direction to provide appropriate planning control over future conversions of dwellinghouses to small HMOs.

We believe this represents a reasonable, proportionate and evidence-based approach to protecting the long-term character, amenity and wellbeing of the Pilsley community.