A city councillor has called for a reduction in the number of HMO licenses in Dundee, amid concerns some areas are too densely populated.
Councillor Fraser Macpherson said he feels that there are too many houses with multiple occupancy licenses in certain areas in the city such as his own West End ward.
Currently, the council limits HMOs for both licensing and planning purposes to 12.5% in any sub-postcode data zone.
And Cllr Macpherson feels that this limit should be reduced further in order to curb problems such as with parking along Perth Road.
He said: “I am keen to see the council review the whole HMO policy for planning purposes and licenses.
“In my opinion, it is not about the total number in the city, it is about spreading them out, because in certain areas, such as in my West End ward, there are simply too many.
“What I am calling for is a review of the 12.5% limit — particularly as it has historically been breached over the years in some parts of the West End.
“If the percentage limit in each sub-postcode datazone was lower, it would avoid concentration of HMOs and ease the issue of things like parking.”
The call comes after an application for an HMO for a property on 52A Perth Road was rejected by councillors, only for the decision to then be overturned by a Scottish Government reporter on appeal.
Mr Macpherson, who was behind the move to reject it originally, said the application had contravened Policy 15 of the Adopted Dundee Local Development Plan.
This prohibits new HMO licences in properties with a shared entrance, even though the two other flats in the tenement are already HMOs.
Cllr Macpherson added: “The decision to overturn the rejected Perth Road HMO application is very frustrating. It was agreed by elected councillors so why then has someone unelected overturned the decision?
“Another HMO is just going to add to the problems in the area.
“One of the issues is that in HMOs where occupants are not related to one another, they often have a higher number of cars, more than family dwellings where occupants are related.
“I think we can all agree that in a city like Dundee there are always going to be HMOs because of the city’s colleges and universities — and everybody is supportive of them — but it needs to be controlled better.”
Councillor Macpherson added that he will be taking up his concerns with the director of Neighbourhood Services once he has consulted with the West End Community Council in June.
