Local councils are to be given greater planning powers, it has been revealed.
An announcement by housing minister John Healey may be of interest to those seeking town planning jobs as he points out authorities are to receive more powers to manage the development of shared rental housing - or houses in multiple occupation (HMO).
In addition, councils will be given extra scope to license private rental landlords.
Following concerns that the widespread concentration of HMOs can leave some communities like "ghost towns", rental landlords looking to alter a family home into a property for at least three unrelated tenants will now need to apply for planning permission.
Mr Healey states that such moves will help councils to "crack down on the worst landlords and stop the spread of high concentrations of shared homes where it causes problems for other residents or changes the character of a neighbourhood".
Such comments come as the minister noted earlier this month that application fees for planning projects are set to be frozen.
