A ST ANDREWS residents’ group running a strong campaigning about over the highly controversial topic of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) has claimed that the number of former council houses now in such use might have contributed to the recent closure of a local primary school.

Two weeks ago, members of Fife Council’s east area development committee, while accepting the need for a policy on HMOs, asked officials to rethink draft proposals and provide a further report. Now, the Central St Andrews Residents’ Alliance (CSARA) has questioned comments made in the wake of the meeting by local councillor Jane Ann Liston, who criticised “a strong current of anti-student feeling” and welcomed the rejection of the proposals.

Yesterday, CSARA’s David Middleton said the councillor had won “no sympathy” from the committee when she spoke passionately in support of having no policy to prevent HMOs taking over more housing stock.

“The reason the committee made its decision on the draft policy was because its proposals did not cover other towns, where many immigrant workers are expected to seek accommodation, and to allow further time for consultation with stakeholders, as the inadequacies of the proposed policy were clear to see.

“Students comprise virtually all HMO residents in St Andrews, but the concerns relate to the maintenance of a mixed, viable and sustainable community. If seasonal temporary residents, whether students or not, become a substantial proportion of residents in an area, the sense of community cohesion is lost and long-term residents leave, as has happened in parts of St Andrews.

“St Andrews is unique in having 7000 students in addition to the resident population of 10,500 and there is a clear need to manage the numbers of HMOs.

“It does not help that almost 80 former council houses have been taken over as HMOs, and Councillor Liston, an enthusiastic supporter of having more HMOs, may wish to reflect on the fact that the lack of families with children in these houses might have contributed to the closure of Langlands School in her ward.”

Mr Middleton also said CSARA did not share the confidence Councillor Liston has in the mandatory HMO licensing scheme, and he pointed out many HMOs are operated by absentee landlords and companies based elsewhere.

“We receive complaints from people living in proximity to HMOs about poor maintenance, unkempt gardens, and inadequate rubbish disposal arrangements.

“All this degrades the environment for HMO residents and neighbours. A significant number of HMO landlords operate illegally, raising concerns about safety in unlicensed houses, despite this being a criminal offence.

“There have been complaints of noise and poor behaviour by some HMO residents, which increases as HMO occupation intensifies in an area, and which landlords have failed to tackle. Neighbours usually seek good relations with students, and the majority are sympathetic and supportive to young people. But when neighbours become fewer and HMOs proliferate, these problems become greater and more unmanageable for the remaining residents.

“There is no need for more student HMOs in St Andrews but there is an urgent need for more family housing, particularly in the affordable category.”