St Helens Council has vowed to “tighten the screws” on HMOs after voting to bring in a borough-wide Article 4 Direction.

The Reform UK-led authority reports that residents and community groups have raised concerns about the combined impact of having more homes converted into HMOs in the same area. Residents are worried that increased numbers of HMOs could cause pressure on parking, waste collection services and local infrastructure, as well as issues relating to property management, absentee landlords and anti-social behaviour.

Its records show that the housing standards team received a total of 21 complaints in relation to HMOs in the 12-month period to March 2026, with 12 reactive inspections (complaints), 84 proactive compliance inspections and four advisory notices.

Figures

There were 106 licensed HMOs in St Helens as of March 2026, up from 66 in 2021–22, it reports. Planning application figures remain low, but officials believe this is partly due to conversions happening outside of the planning system, under permitted development rules.

It says the use of a non-immediate Article 4 Direction can contribute meaningfully to improving housing quality, space standards and amenity across the borough by requiring a planning application. It aims to have more control over where new HMOs are created, while still supporting good quality HMOs for those who need them.

Meeting

The St Helens Star reports that council leader George Woodward (pictured) told a recent meeting: “I think it’s also worth pointing out that we’re only just starting to tighten the screws on this. We have other tools that we will utilise, for example licensing, our Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in The Local Plan which is due to be renewed soon.”

The SPD sets out how planning applications for HMOs will be assessed, including factors such as over-concentration, impacts on neighbours, and the suitability of living space.

The Article 4 Direction will now be subject to a six-week public consultation, with a 12-month lead-in period before it takes effect.

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