City Council to change guidelines for student housing
Charlie Gershinson, Deputy Print Editor-in-Chief, writes on the changes to student housing made by Exeter City Council.
Exeter City Council has announced plans to limit the number of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) – often occupied by students – out of a sense to achieve “balance” between the student and non-student population.
Currently, an Article 4 Direction is in place around Streatham Campus which forces property owners to seek planning permission before converting dwellings into HMOs. The City Council now plans to extend the Article 4 Direction for the immediate future in plans launched in May. The Direction would be extended to include most of the Pennsylvania area while alternative plans would extend this area further to include areas of Newtown and Heavitree, or even the whole city of Exeter.
Cllr Emma Morse, Lead Councillor for City Development said: “Exeter has many HMOs and they are a great housing option for lots of people, including students. But as the city and the University grows we want to ensure that communities remain balanced, which is where the Article 4 area comes in.
“Exeter has had an Article 4 area for HMOs for some time, but by extending the area, it means more property owners will be required to seek planning permission to convert a property into a HMO”, explains Morse. The impact this will have on students is yet to be seen.
