A call has been made for action to be taken over the rise of shared housing in Barrow.
There has been a sharp rise in applications and approvals for the accommodation – known as houses of multiple occupancy or HMOs – in the town.
In 2016, Barrow only had one. Eight years later that number had risen to 80.
Labour councillor Anne Burns raised concerns at a recent Westmorland & Furness Council meeting.
She spoke about the damage being done to affordable family housing, the community feel in local neighbourhoods, and infrastructure, by the rapid increase of HMOs across the town.
However, she added: “We recognise the need to manage this balance sensitively, especially with some deeply concerning rhetoric emerging around this issue.”
Coun Burns called for a meeting between the council’s cabinet member for planning and the leader of the local Labour group and Michelle Scrogham, the Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, to discuss potential action.
The council has agreed to organise a meeting.
She also questioned the council’s long term strategy on HMOs as well as their impact on the stability of the community
Council leader Jonathan Brook, a Liberal Democrat, said: “The council fully recognises the growing community unease surrounding the density and management of HMOs particularly where they are concentrated within certain neighbourhoods.
“We are acutely aware of the pressures this can place on local infrastructure, community cohesion, housing standards and the overall character of residential areas.”
Coun Brook said the HMO surge was down to the town’s economic growth and the need for increased accommodation for NHS workers and students at the new university campus.
“Serco has also been procuring properties for refugee and asylum residents although we have recently been advised there is a pause on any further procurement,” he added.
One action called for by the Labour group was the use of planning tools used by local authorities to remove permitted development rights.
Cities such as Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Oxford have successfully used the directions to tighten control over HMOs.
Coun David Brook, leader of the Labour group, said: “We’re not against HMOs in principle, but their growth must be carefully managed.
“If we don’t take action now, we risk prioritising short-term, transient accommodation over the long-term housing needs of local families and the sustainability of our communities.”
Barrow-based KR Co-living Ltd, which provides HMOs for rent in the area, criticised the increased number of HMOs, saying “anyone can build a HMO today” and that introducing further controls would result in a better quality of person and less competition in the industrial town.
The council said it was currently engaging with members of the community such as landlords, housing associations and residents’ groups to promote a response that meets housing needs whilst protecting community interests.
