Steve Yemm column: A year on, Mansfield still needs action to control the spread of HMOs

Since then, I have continued pressing Mansfield Council to introduce Article 4 controls in those neighbourhoods where residents are seeing family homes steadily converted into HMOs.

The council has the power to act, it now needs to use it.

An Article 4 direction would not prohibit HMOs, nor would it affect properly established existing properties.

It would simply mean that converting a family home into a small HMO for between three and six unrelated people would require planning permission.

That matters because, without Article 4 controls, many such conversions can take place under permitted development rights.

The council and the community therefore have little opportunity to consider the cumulative effect on a street before the change happens.

Planning applications would allow each proposal to be assessed properly, taking account of the number of HMOs already nearby and the likely effects on parking, waste collection, noise, neighbourhood character and the availability of family homes.

This is not about opposing tenants or suggesting that every HMO is badly managed.

Good-quality shared accommodation has an important place in our housing market, particularly for younger people, key workers and those who cannot afford a home of their own.

It is about balance.

When too many conventional homes in a small area are converted into HMOs, the character of a community can change rapidly.

Article 4 controls would give residents a voice and responsible landlords greater certainty about what is expected.

They would also help the council intervene before a neighbourhood reaches a tipping point, rather than attempting to repair the damage afterwards.

Mansfield would not be taking an unusual or untested step.

Nottingham has Article 4 controls requiring planning permission for small HMO conversions across the city.

Sheffield uses them in designated areas and applies a policy intended to prevent excessive concentrations of shared housing.

Derby introduced controls in May 2025 covering communities where residents had raised concerns about high numbers of HMOs and their wider effects.

These councils have recognised that Article 4 is a practical planning tool which can protect balanced communities while allowing suitable, well-managed shared housing to be considered in appropriate locations.

If neighbouring areas can take action, Mansfield can too.

Over the past year, I have repeatedly asked the council to identify HMO hotspots, gather the necessary evidence and begin the process of introducing targeted Article 4 directions.

I will continue pressing for a clear timetable and meaningful progress.

Residents deserve more than sympathetic words.

They need reassurance that their concerns are being heard and that the council is prepared to use the powers available to protect their streets.

We need good homes of different kinds, but they must be provided in the right places and with proper safeguards.

Family housing should not be hollowed out street by street simply because uncontrolled conversion offers the greatest financial return.

Article 4 would not solve every housing problem overnight.

But it would restore local oversight, support responsible development and give Mansfield’s communities a meaningful say in changes that directly affect them.

A year after I first raised this issue, my message to Mansfield Council remains clear – residents have waited long enough, please act now.