Campaigners have urged a council to listen to their concerns over housing issues in East Durham. 

Concerned residents in the East Durham Communities Standing Together group are calling for greater controls to manage the number of homes converted into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). 

Durham County Council was earlier this year warned some of the county’s most deprived areas were being targeted by private landlords. 

A recent petition, signed by 153 people, asked the council to adopt a policy that informs all residents and the wider community of potential new applications for HMOs in the East Durham area. 

However, the local authority said it won’t apply the measures in East Durham due to the “low proportion of HMOs” and no evidence they are causing issues. 

Dr Brian Brown, chair of the community group, said: “The attraction is clearly the price of housing. 

“If you go to Blackhall or Horden there are streets of empty houses. There’s real concern among residents. 

“One of the most compelling arguments against HMOs is that East Durham has ticked every metric against the index of deprivation, and still does. 

“We shouldn’t be importing more deprivation, all it does is work to the detriment of the area.”

Mr Brown was joined by Matt Tough and other campaigners outside Durham County Hall before a full council meeting to raise awareness of their campaign. They are urging the local authority to introduce measures in the area, known as Article Four Direction, to manage the number of HMOs. 

Mr Tough said: “We have no way of controlling how many HMOs are in the area. Applying Article Four Direction won’t stop them, but it will mean they all go through proper planning permission, which is only right given the amount of anxiety in the community. People are worried about houses being unnaturally converted.” 

Landlords or agents must apply for planning permission to convert homes into HMOs for more than six people. If the landlord or agent rents out a house to six occupants or fewer, it is considered permitted development and planning permission is not required. 

However, the group alleges information from the Government about when it can introduce special measures contradicts the information provided by Durham County Council. 

Mr Brown said the council had refused to discuss their concerns. He added: “We want to put our arguments to the councillors and officials and let’s see what their arguments against ours are. 

“They seem to be very dishonest with councillors and what they’re saying doesn’t align with central government.”

Councillor James Rowlandson, cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said the local authority must follow national legislation.

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“We can apply to the Government to implement an Article Four Direction where there is evidence of HMOs having a detrimental impact on the community. However, there is a very low proportion of HMOs in East Durham and there is no evidence that they are causing issues. 

“The issue of HMOs was discussed in depth at a recent meeting of the Environment and Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Committee as part of the development of our housing strategy. 

Proposed amendments will be considered at a further meeting of the committee later this year, and members of the public can submit questions in advance of this. It will then go to Cabinet and Full Council in the new year.”