Knowsley Council’s Cabinet recently agreed to implement new rules which mean it will be able to decide whether or not planning permission should be granted for the conversion of a residential property to an HMO.
This is known as an Article 4 Direction, under Article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(England) Order 2015 (as amended).
An Article 4 Direction removes the permitted development rights for the change of use for a property from one which falls within Class C3 (dwellinghouse) to a use falling within Class C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation). This is under the Schedule to Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) legislation, and the Direction will be applied Borough-wide.
This will not affect existing small HMOs. It only applies to changes of use, which take place on or after 4 November 2026.
As part of this process, a formal consultation has been opened, with details being provided on the Knowsley Council website. residents, landlords, businesses and other interested parties are now able to share their views before the closing date of 16 December 2026.
Once the consultation window has closed, representations will be reviewed and a report will be prepared summarising consultation outcomes and giving a recommendation on whether the Article 4 Direction should be confirmed.
You can have your say by completing the consultation form on the Council’s website or, if this is not convenient, request a consultation form by emailing knowsleyLocal.Plan@knowsley.gov.uk.
You can also write to the Council at Article 4 Direction Consultation, Planning & Building Control Team, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Nutgrove Villa, Westmorland Road, Huyton, L36 6GA. Please include your details, whether you support the introduction of a whole borough Article 4 Direction and your reasons for this.
Find out more about the Article 4 Direction by viewing the following documents on the Council’s website (or request a copy from KnowsleyLocal.Plan@knowsley.gov.uk.
A copy of the Direction and a map defining the area of the Direction are available for viewing at Huyton Library, Civic Way, Huyton.
A further notice will be published stating whether the Direction has been confirmed by the council.