Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan

HO8 Housing with shared facilities (Houses in Multiple Occupation)

Strategic Objectives:

A An open Lewisham as part of an open London,

B Housing tailored to the community with genuinely affordable homes,

G Healthy and safe communities.

A Development proposals for housing with shared facilities (i.e. Houses in Multiple Occupation) (HMOs) in the Sui Generis Use Class will only be permitted where they:

  • Do not result in the loss of existing housing suitable for family occupation, which includes but is not limited to the following considerations:
    1. Location within a residential street or area;
    2. Size and layout, including number and size of individual rooms and bedrooms;
    3. Amenity space, such as access to a private garden;
  • Contribute to inclusive and mixed neighbourhoods and do not result in a harmful overconcentration of HMOs. This will be assessed where the character of the area has changed or local amenity has been adversely impacted as a result of:
    1. Visual amenity, including impacts arising from poorly maintained properties;
    2. Increased noise;
    3. Vehicular traffic generation, along with car and cycle parking pressure;
    4. Inadequate provision of waste management and recycling facilities;
    5. Additional pressure on community facilities; and
    6. Anti-social behaviour and public safety.
  • Are appropriately located in areas that are well-connected to local services by walking, cycling and public transport; and
  • Are well-designed and provide high quality accommodation that satisfies the relevant standards for HMOs, including units that provide adequate functional living spaces and layouts.

B Development proposals for small HMOs in the C4 Use Class (i.e. 3 to 6 unrelated people) within any area covered by an Article 4 Direction will only be permitted where:

  • The gross original internal floorspace of the original dwelling is 130 square metres or greater; and
  • The requirements of (A)(b-d) above are satisfied.

C Development proposals that result in the loss of an HMO, or the self-containment of any part of an HMO, will be refused unless it can be suitably demonstrated that:

  • The existing building does not meet the appropriate standards for an HMO and has no realistic prospect of meeting the standards; and
  • Adequate replacement provision can be secured within the Borough, having regard to the requirements of (A) above, with no net loss in HMO floorspace; or
  • Any replacement use includes housing provision that meets an acute local need, particularly genuinely affordable housing, with at least the equivalent amount of residential floorspace re-provided

Large-scale purpose-built shared living accommodation

D Development proposals for large-scale purpose-built shared living accommodation in the Sui Generis Use Class will be permitted where it is robustly demonstrated through evidence that:

  • There is an identified local market demand for the type of housing proposed and the development will not lead to a proliferation of this type of development in an area and the Borough which will compromise the delivery of conventional housing;
  • Private units within the development are demonstrably not selfcontained homes in the C3 Use Class or capable of being used as self-contained homes;
  • There is well-integrated provision of communal facilities and services sufficient to meet the requirements of the intended number of occupiers;
  • The development is appropriately located and of a high quality design, having regard to the requirements of (A) above;
  • The development will be under single management, suitably managed and maintained over its lifetime, as evidenced by a management plan;
  • All units are available to rent, with minimum tenancy lengths of no less than 3 months;
  • A cash-in-lieu contribution is made towards affordable housing in the C3 Use Class; and
  • The development contributes towards creating mixed and balanced communities.

For more information and policy context please see the Lewisham Local Plan