Busy Derby street 'losing its character' amid housing row

A Derby street is 'losing its character' after plans for another family home to be turned into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) was granted lawful approval. More than a year ago, 140 residents signed a petition calling on Derby City Council to stop the vast increase in HMOs on Brighton Road in Alvaston.

HMOs are shared properties lived in by a number of individual households. The petition came to light before an investigation by the council looked into major problems where there were a high concentration of HMOs.

Over recent years several homes on Brighton Road have been allowed to transform into HMOs. Worried residents claimed in 2023 the allowance of too many properties on the street being converted from family homes is “ripping out the heart of the community”.

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But the desire for more HMOs on the street continues. At the end of 2024 a developer submitted a “Lawful Development Certificate application” to formally ask whether a property on the street could have a change of use to be converted into a house of multiple occupation of up to six people without planning permission.

The city council has approved the application saying the change of use is a "permitted change" under planning policy. The approval comes at a time when the council’s plans to introduce stricter regulations regarding HMOs in Derby comes into force in May.

The recently approved Article 4 Direction, will give the council “more planning powers to regulate Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)”.

The need for tougher regulations will please residents on Brighton Road. In September 2023 one resident told a planning meeting: “It’s going to be called HMO Road soon rather than Brighton Road. HMOs are crippling our community. The parking aspect is horrendous. (The road is so congested) that residents will not be able to get an ambulance or fire engine to save their lives.”

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Alvaston North councillor Alan Graves said he felt developers were effectively being given a “free licence” until May which has created a rush to get HMO applications through before stricter rules are in play.

He said: “This is not the only house that is being converted to a HMO, there are many others, including a new one on Hollis Street, a street where this was highlighted as blight on the local community in the first place many years ago.

“The current problem is the time it has taken the council to invoke Article 4: first of all agree that this is a problem; and then the two years to implement it apparently starting in May 2024.

“It seems that the developers are given free licence up until then, and there has been a rush to get these in as quickly as they can.

“The misery of too many HMOs is now proven and evident on the local family community. These areas have lost their community identities, causing misery to those left behind. Parking, bins on streets, unkempt properties, are all problems that ordinary residents have to put up with.”

Derby City Council confirmed it had seen a “slight increase” in applications since it announced it would be toughing up HMO regulations.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “Introducing the Article 4 Direction is a complex process which takes time to ensure that it is done properly. Our teams have been working hard to gather sufficient evidence to identify problem areas that will justify the removal of the Secretary of State’s national permitted development rights.

“This, together with a statutory publicity period, a review of all responses and formal council consideration, has taken considerable time. The transition period is progressing well and the Article 4 Direction will come into effect on May 3, 2025.

“We have seen a slight increase in applications since the announcement, which is to be expected. Our teams are equipped to handle this increase.”

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