CALLS are growing for a cap on multiple occupancy homes to be rolled out across the region, after one council’s pioneering restriction was upheld by a planning inspector.

York City Council has taken powers to limit the number of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) within defined areas where there are already a high number of such properties, which are often popular with university students.

The York policy, known as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), was challenged by a developer but Planning Inspector Elaine Worthington has thrown out out the appeal.

Now Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods has called on Durham County Council to adopt a similar policy, which she believes could ensure balanced communities in her city constituency.

Supporters say if adopted more widely the policy would also have an impact in other university towns such as Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

Dr Blackman-Woods said: “This policy is kind of what we’ve been trying to get in Durham for a long time.

“The SPD adopted in York shows what could be achieved when there is political will to sort out problems associated with too many HMOs in a given area.”

Her call was supported by four Labour candidates in May’s local elections.

Councillor Nigel Martin, leader of Durham’s Liberal Democrats, said he had been asking for the change for several years but the Labour-run council had spent four years kicking the issue into the long grass.

It is feared if the so-called bedroom tax forces people out of council houses into the private rented sector, developers could seek to create more HMOs.

“We should be deciding where that’s appropriate and where it isn’t,” Dr Blackman-Woods said.

The Under Occupancy Charge, which comes into force from Wednesday, will see families docked benefits for having spare rooms.

Dr Blackman-Woods believes it will lead to more people falling behind on their rent.

The National Housing Federation says 660,000 people could lose out across the country, including 1,680 in Durham City, 1,084 in Darlington, 2,041 in Middlesbrough and 2,779 in Gateshead.

Dozens of anti-Bedroom Tax protests are planned across the country for Saturday (March 30), with rallies in Darlington, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. A further protest will be held in Durham on Saturday, April 6.