Mansfield District Council has approved funding for detailed analysis to establish whether new planning controls should be introduced for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
The work will assess the case for an Article 4 Direction, which could require property owners to seek planning permission before converting a family home into a small HMO within a designated area.
The council says these conversions can currently take place without a planning application under permitted development rights. No decision has yet been made to introduce the controls.
The funding follows work by the council’s HMO Working Group, which has examined the growth and concentration of HMOs across the district and the options available to the authority.
Evidence considered by the group identified concentrations around Mansfield town centre and the inner urban area. It also examined concerns about the loss of family housing, parking pressures, antisocial behaviour, waste, property conditions and the balance of local communities.
Specialists will now carry out further analysis to establish whether there is sufficient evidence to support an Article 4 Direction and where any controls could be targeted. The findings are expected to be available in the new year for consideration.
Executive Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams said: “HMOs have an important role to play in providing affordable places to live, but we also need the right balance. We want Mansfield to have strong, sustainable communities with a good mix of homes for individuals and families.”
He added: “By approving this investment we can now get the detailed evidence we need and move this work forward. If that evidence supports an Article 4 Direction, we will be in a much stronger position to consider targeted planning controls in the areas where they are needed.”
