Ribble Valley approves immediate Article 4 Direction on HMOs

The move brings the authority into line with a growing number of Lancashire councils seeking greater control over shared housing.

The measure was approved by Ribble Valley Council's Planning and Development Committee on August 27 and came into force immediately at midnight on August 28, just a few hours later.

Article 4 removes permitted development rights that previously allowed landlords to convert a family home into a small HMO, occupied by between three and six unrelated people, without applying for planning permission.

Larger HMOs housing more than six people already require planning consent.

The council said the change applies immediately across the entire borough and will allow it to scrutinise each proposal individually, monitor the spread of HMOs and ensure accommodation is properly managed and meets acceptable living standards.

Despite being a largely rural borough, Ribble Valley planners raised concerns that they could become a target for HMO landlords

 The move also means future policies in the authority's emerging Local Plan will be able to apply to smaller HMOs which previously fell outside the planning system.

Council documents show officers argued stronger controls were needed because Ribble Valley risked becoming increasingly attractive to HMO developers and landlords as neighbouring authorities introduced their own restrictions.

Most Lancashire councils, including Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Preston, Blackpool, Rossendale, South Ribble, Wyre, Lancaster, Burnley and Chorley, now have Article 4 Directions covering some or all of their areas.

However, many have opted for a 12-month consultation and review period before the rules come into effect.

Part of Ribble Valley’s motivation for bringing in these measures is that other councils’ tighter controls on HMO conversions could cause ‘consequential displacement issues’, with landlords turning to the rural borough’s housing stock in lieu of restricted urban areas.

This is not to say that HMO conversions were not already an issue for some borough residents, with Clitheroe seeing a number of applications in recent years that were approved, despite local opposition.

That includes a conversion in July of last year in Bawdlands, where a six-bed HMO was approved under national planning rules, despite local residents citing traffic concerns and the increasing concentration of this type of high-density housing as a reason the scheme should be rejected.

The house in Bawdlands, Clitheroe, was approved for a six-bed HMO conversion in July, 2025 (Image: Katana Planning)

 In the report presented to councillors, officers acknowledged that HMOs play an important role in providing lower-cost accommodation for younger people, those on lower incomes and residents with short-term housing needs.

However, they also highlighted concerns linked to concentrations of shared housing, including increased noise and disturbance, parking pressures, waste management issues, pressure on local services, a reduction in owner-occupied and family housing, and potential impacts on community cohesion.

The report notes that bringing small HMOs under planning control would enable the council to better manage those impacts while still allowing suitable schemes to come forward.

The authority said the Article 4 Direction would help improve oversight of smaller HMOs which can currently be created without planning approval.

An Article 4 Direction does not prevent new HMOs from being created. Instead, it removes the automatic permission and requires landlords and developers to submit planning applications, allowing the council to assess factors such as location, concentration, amenity impacts and suitability before reaching a decision.

Officers stressed any refusals would still need to be justified on planning grounds.

The council has chosen to implement the measure using an immediate Article 4 Direction, meaning the permitted development rights were withdrawn straight away.

This means that any landlord who purchased a property to turn it into a small HMO, but has yet to make the necessary property changes and bring in tenants, will now have to meet these suitability criteria.

Under the legislation, the authority must now undertake consultation and formally confirm the direction within six months if it is to remain in force permanently. Residents and stakeholders can submit comments until 5pm on September 18, after which councillors will decide whether to formally confirm the measure.

In a statement, Ribble Valley Council said: "Anyone wanting to turn a regular house into an HMO will need to apply for planning permission."

The authority added: "This change will help the council keep track of HMOs, and through our licensing function, make sure they are properly managed, and ensure they meet good living standards."

It said planning permission could still be granted ‘where proposals are suitable and help meet local housing needs’.