“REVOLTING” piles of household waste and rubbish are “no surprise” to residents of one Southampton area, who have voiced their frustrations after years of incidents. Those who live in and around the Polygon district have hit out after years of fly tipping incidents, with some pointing the finger at HMOs in the area. They claim the incidents are linked to the clearing out of the area’s HMOs when tenancies end. Furniture, clothes, food waste and loose rubbish are often found sprawled across the cutway between Morris Road and Milton Road, as well as on roads and pavements. Residents say the rubbish attracts all types of pests including rats and flies, adding that the “smell is revolting”.
A terrifying letter was waiting for us at home this week, on our return from our first summer break in two years.
Addressed to Thomas and Lucinda Utley, it came from our local council and threatened us with a penalty of tens of thousands of pounds if we failed to comply with an enclosed Requisition for Information within 14 days. Dear Sir/Madam, it began, the London Borough of Lambeth have information that the property above is being used as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and is required to be licensed. Failure to license is an offence and enforcement action can result in either a civil penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution (unlimited fine).
OWNERS of a historic former Weymouth pub are hoping that a planning loophole will prevent enforcement action from being taken over works to change part of the building into homes. The former Swan Inn, number 567 Dorchester Road, ceased trading around 2004 and changed hands two years later. Planning permission was granted for the Upwey listed building to be converted into a family home in 2007, but expired after works did not get under way - which the owners say is due to the financial crash at the time. However, part of the building has been occupied by the owner and her family since then, with nominal work being carried out to convert an annex into a three bed house, a three bedroomed flat and a one bedroomed flat, to enable rooms to be rented to tenants.
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