Comment
Greater Cambridge Local Plan Preferred Options
Representation ID: 59519
Received: 11/12/2021
Respondent: Pocket Living
Agent: Quod
The policy requirement which ensures new HMO’s are provided in suitable locations with appropriate facilities is supported. This policy should however provide support for the delivery of purpose-built self-contained housing for single person households.
There is a significant and growing unmet need for housing for young single person households. Whilst delivering more HMO’s would provide somewhere for these households to live in the short term, requiring more unrelated households to share is not an appropriate long term solution. This has recently been highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic which illustrated those living in HMO’s has on average just 9 square meters of private space to live and work from (LSE 2020). Furthermore, without purpose-built self-contained alternatives the number of HMO’s required to meet the needs of existing sharers presently living in unregulated/ unsuitable housing would be significant. This would require high concentrations of HMO’s and/or loss of existing family homes. Delivering purpose-built housing for single person households would reduce the need for HMO’s.
The policy requirement which ensures new HMO’s are provided in suitable locations with appropriate facilities is supported. This policy should however provide support for the delivery of purpose-built self-contained housing for single person households.
There is a significant and growing unmet need for housing for young single person households. Whilst delivering more HMO’s would provide somewhere for these households to live in the short term, requiring more unrelated households to share is not an appropriate long term solution. This has recently been highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic which illustrated those living in HMO’s has on average just 9 square meters of private space to live and work from (LSE 2020). Furthermore, without purpose-built self-contained alternatives the number of HMO’s required to meet the needs of existing sharers presently living in unregulated/ unsuitable housing would be significant. This would require high concentrations of HMO’s and/or loss of existing family homes. Delivering purpose-built housing for single person households would reduce the need for HMO’s.