Family homeshortageblamed onbedsit trend

Paul Jeeves

A CRITICAL shortage of family homes in one of Yorkshire’s property hotspots is being compounded amid a continuing trend for larger properties to be carved up into bedsits, senior councillors have been warned.

York Council has been urged to introduce new planning policies to halt large and often historic Victorian properties throughout the city from being divided up into separate living quarters to accommodate tenants.

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Opposition Labour councillors last year urged council planning officers to prepare a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which would make the sub-division of larger properties either impossible or extremely unlikely in York.

However, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, who submitted a council motion in April last year calling for the introduction of the SPD, maintained that the problem is persisting.

She said: “All the while we are not acting, landlords and developers are applying to sub-divide usually terraced properties, for the purpose of profit.

“That is their business, but as a council they should not expect us roll over and accept this practice as it is both undesirable and damaging to the city.”

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The Yorkshire Post revealed three years ago that a tough stance on housing developments was due to be adopted.

But demand for larger properties from young families and other house-hunters has been far outstripping supply in recent years.

A council spokeswoman stressed that the authority was “fully committed” to providing affordable family housing.

She added: “We already have a planning policy which seeks to protect houses with three bedrooms or less from sub-division. We are currently looking to provide interim guidance, which will specify minimum space standards.”