A delegation from Nottingham City Council had a successful meeting at the Department of Communities and Local Government where it pursued changes in planning legislation with Iain Wright MP, Minister with responsibility for planning.

Graham Allen MP for Nottingham North had arranged for the meeting with Iain Wright. The delegation, consisting of Cllr. Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Communities, Leisure and Culture, Shane Neville, City Council Head of Planning, Mike Cole, City Council Student Strategy Manager and Maya Fletcher, Co-ordinator of the Nottingham Action Group on HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) as well as Melanie Futer (Manager Off Campus Student Affairs at the University of Nottingham) was joined by Graham Allen and Alan Simpson MP for the Nottingham South Constituency

Top of the agenda was the urgent need for Government to enact changes to planning legislation which would mean that people who want to convert a family home into an HMO must apply for planning permission before doing so.

Cllr Dave Trimble said: “The Minister was very receptive to the ideas of the delegation and spoke highly of Nottingham. With Graham Allen's support, I feel that we were able to convince him of the need for the required and requested change in planning legislation. It also proved important that he was also able to get a picture of some of the other issues relevant to studentified areas.”

The Minister was also pleased to see the University of Nottingham lending its support to the delegation and the case for a change in legislation.

The Minister outlined plans for a fact-finding exercise to take place shortly followed by the setting up of a working group. In addition to promising that Nottingham will have an active part to play in these, the Minister hoped that Nottingham would also contribute to the review of the private rented sector announced recently.

Councillor Trimble repeated a previous invitation to come to Nottingham and this was supported by an invitation from Maya Fletcher for the Minister to meet with members of the NAG and visit their neighbourhoods. Iain Wright has accepted both invitations and we look forward to welcoming him later this year.

Maya Fletcher representing the Nottingham Action Group on HMOs said: “After the meeting with the Minister I am heartened by the feeling that at last Government is listening to what we are saying about the need for changes to planning legislation. Iain Wright has accepted an invitation to come and meet members of the NAG and take a look at our neighbourhoods and we are very much looking forward to that and showing him some of our hospitality.”