Plans for a seven-bedroom HMO in Darlington have been formally approved by the council after the property was found to be in use as one for more than 10 years.

The approval from Darlington Borough Council comes amid a spate of similar applications being given the go-ahead by Durham County Council in recent weeks.

An application was lodged with Darlington Council for another HMO this week.

The property, 49 Corporation Road, has been granted a Lawful Development Certificate, confirming its use as a seven-bedroom HMO for more than 10 years.

This means it is now exempt from enforcement actions under sections of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 which states that if a property has been used continuously as an HMO for over ten years, it can be considered lawful.

Application forms, submitted by Mr Garry Crawford on behalf of Freedom Family Investment Ltd, sought to change the property's planning class from C4 to Sui Generis to reflect its capacity for seven bedrooms.

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Darlington Borough Council was provided with several documents to support the application, including a mandatory HMO licence valid until June 26, 2028, and a building regulations certificate dated October 25, confirming renovations, including fire door replacements and window works.

An email from Private Sector Housing dated September 12 confirmed the property has been in HMO use since 2005, though it did not specify the number of rooms.

The planning authority assessed whether the property had indeed been in continuous use as a large HMO for more than ten years.

No national or local planning policies were directly relevant since this type of application is strictly concerned with the lawfulness of the existing use rather than any new development.

Private Sector Housing confirmed the HMO licence, verifying that the property had been used as an HMO since at least 1994, and raised no objections to its continued use as a seven-bedroom HMO.

The certificate, granted in October 2024, only applies to the specific use of the land as an HMO for seven occupants and does not permit any changes or deviations without further consent.