Tenants face eviction from 'unacceptable' warehouse flats
Tenants who are living in two converted warehouses face being forced out after housing bosses deemed the homes 'unacceptable.'
Former business premises at 51 to 53 Wolverhampton Street in Willenhall, and 16 Butts Road in St Matthew's have been used as houses of multiple occupation for at least a year, Walsall Council claims.
Between them, the properties have 22 single bedrooms, say the council, which plans to issue an enforcement notice demanding both buildings are returned to their previous state and all fixtures and fittings associated with housing are ripped out.
The authority will give until the end of May for the changes to be made.
Councillor Sean Coughlan said: "The one in Willenhall is just inappropriate even if they put a proper planning application in for it."
Complaints were originally made about the two buildings in April last year. Since then applications have been made to formally 'change the use' but both have been rejected by the council.
The authority's planning committee has now been advised to sign off enforcement action at their meeting on Thursday.
Walsall Council requires landlords who convert properties with at least three-storeys into five or more bedrooms, to have an HMO licence. Officers have declared that using both buildings for housing is 'unacceptable' due to the lack of parking, private amenity space and the lack of noise protection from neighbouring businesses.
Jim Haliburton, owner of J9 Accommodation, who placed the original planning application, said: "I am surprised at this action.
"I have turned two empty properties into high quality accommodation that is desperately needed. I fully co-operate with the council and I am puzzled as to why they have not made contact with me before taking this action.
"16 Butts Road is a house in a residential area and it is questionable whether planning permission is even needed."
Councillor Coughlan and claimed there were other questionable developments, particularly in Willenhall, which needed looking at. He added it was a consequence of the council no longer having dedicated enforcement officers as a result of cuts in Government funding.
