Article 4 Directions immediate and non-immediate to remove HMO permitted development rights

Following the planning committee decision on 4 September 2024 (PDF, 6MB) to approve:

1. the making of a direction under article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 having non-immediate effect for the whole area of borough of Ealing apart from the excluded areas (the excluded areas being the area of Perivale ward and the administrative area of the OPDC located within the borough of Ealing) withdrawing the permitted development right to change use from a dwelling house (Class C3) to a small HMO (Class C4) use. 
2. the making of a direction under article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 having immediate effect for the area of Perivale ward withdrawing the permitted development right to change use from a dwelling house (Class C3) to a small HMO (Class C4) use.

The council made two Article 4 Directions on 30 October 2024. The effect of which will be to require a grant of planning permission for the change of use of dwellings to houses in multiple occupation (HMO).

HMOs are defined as small shared houses occupied by between 3 and 6 unrelated individuals, as their only or main residence, who share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom. New HMOs with more than six unrelated individuals are in any case required to submit a planning application and the Article 4s will not change this. 

The effect of these directions is that once they come into force, they remove permitted development rights granted for development described in the directions and such development will not be carried out within the area to which each direction applies, as described above, unless planning permission is granted by the council.

The immediate direction

The immediate direction came into force on 30 October 2024.

The non-immediate direction

It is proposed that the non-immediate direction will come into force on 14 November 2025.

A copy of the directions, including the maps showing the areas covered within the Article 4 direction areas, and the site notices, are available to download.