Breckland Council’s cabinet has unanimously backed plans to explore tougher restrictions on the spread of shared housing, amid growing concern over the impact it is having within the district.

The probe will examine whether the council should introduce an Article 4 direction - a planning tool that would require landlords to seek permission before converting a family home into an HMO.

Many in Dereham have raised concerns about the link between HMOs and crime (Image: Ian Burt)

At present, national planning rules allow conversions to go ahead without council approval.

Cabinet documents reveal that locals have raised concerns that HMOs are leading to “the erosion of established residential character" and “the incremental loss of traditional family housing”.

The report also outlined fears about the added strain HMOs place on local infrastructure and the negative impact of properties with a high turnover of residents.

These concerns have been seen first-hand in towns such as Dereham, where a Public Spaces Protection Order has been introduced to tackle anti-social behaviour that many believe has stemmed from a proliferation of HMOs.

Sarah Suggitt, Breckland Council's deputy leader (Image: Breckland Council)

Sarah Suggitt, deputy leader at Breckland, said: "This is about stewardship of place, it's about retaining appropriate planning tools where they are justified, and it is about demonstrating to our residents that we are prepared to act proportionately where change risks undermining the balance of our communities."

Cabinet member Bill Borrett, who backed the proposal, added: "It’s not about demonising a particular part of the population, but it is important that we can keep our communities in balance."

Breckland’s decision follows a similar move by South Norfolk Council last month, which launched its own investigation into tighter planning controls followings warnings HMOs were “destroying” community life in parts of the district.

© Eastern Daily Press