Liverpool refuses retrospective consent for 35-person HMO
The city council has ruled that a shared house in Childwall that has operated as such for more than a decade provides poor living conditions for residents.
Liverpool City Council has refused a request from landlord Donna Properties to formalise the use of St Josephs House at 270 Woolton Road as a house in multiple occupation.
The city council claims that the change of use of the building into student accommodation was implemented without consent, however, the building has had various HMO licenses over the years, the last expiring in 2025.
In refusing the application, the local authority states that St Josephs House does not meet expected standards given poor levels of light into some bedrooms, poor levels of privacy for others, and a lack of shared amenity space.
To learn more about the scheme, search for reference number 26F/1205 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.
It’s high time that the farce of retrospective planning was ended. People build whatever they like, wherever they like knowing that if the applied for permission first it wouldn’t be granted. Often when they do apply and permission is granted they then go on to alter the agreed plans. If they are then challenged they apply for retrospective permission. This usually incurs court costs which come from already overstretched council budgets. A complete farce.
By Mavis
Retrospective permissions should be banned immediately. Seems like the “easy way out” for companies that couldn’t be bothered to follow the rules.
By Bernard Fender
HMO are destroying communities they all need to STOP
By Anonymous
Donna properties are not landlords they are managing agent
By Joe