COUNCILLORS have raised concern about the HMO applications being made in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) which are “not fit for purpose”.
At a planning committee meeting on Thursday, February 13, members raised concern over the houses in multiple occupation (HMO) applications that are coming before them and say some of them are “getting worse”.
Councillor Wayne Owen, Independent councillor for Pontyclun West, asked if they could have a meeting with a Welsh Government inspector with all the HMO applications coming through now.
He said: “It’s getting ridiculous to be honest with you,” adding: “I’m just fed up of them coming through.”
He said officers put the applications for approval because they are going with the recommendations they’ve got to go by and councillors are voting against the applications with their conscience.
Cllr Owen said: “The nature of the applications that are coming through are not fit for purpose and it’s not fair.”
Councillor Sharon Rees, Labour councillor for Aberdare West/Llwydcoed, said she completely agrees. “These applications have put a great deal of difficulty on members of this committee because we don’t see what the final thing looks like because it hasn’t even been to licensing yet so we don’t even know if it does meet licensing standards. It’s a ridiculous situation we find ourselves in.”
She said she has been speaking to planning officers and the cabinet member about how they can find a way forward to support the committee in helping them make these decisions.
She said they need to go the Welsh Local Government Association and that politically the pressure needs to come.
Councillor Ross Williams, Labour councillor for Penrhiwceiber, said: “It’s getting a bit mundane and monotonous.”
He added: “We’ve got a moral duty to try and get people housed but we have also got a moral duty to try and get them properly housed and some of the ones we’ve seen they seem to be getting worse.
“The applications sometimes are the same so they’re not learning.”
He added: “I’d like to see something done about this.”
Councillor Danny Grehan, Plaid Cymru councillor for Tonyrefail East, said: “If we meet with PEDW so that they can tell us the guidelines that’s not going to be beneficial for them or us. We need to have a conversation so they can see why we are refusing these.”
