As of 30 January 2026, Sefton Council is enforcing new, borough‑wide planning controls designed to curb the conversion of family homes into small shared houses (HMOs). An Immediate Article 4 Direction, implemented in mid‑October 2025, removed the permitted‑development right that previously allowed some houses to convert to small HMOs without full planning permission. As a result, landlords must now apply for planning permission for any new small HMO where previously they might not have needed it. The council says the change is intended to tackle local concerns about anti‑social behaviour, fly‑tipping, litter and the loss of family‑sized homes.
The council applies a concentration test for new HMO applications: planning guidance used by Sefton says proposals will normally be refused where more than 10% of properties within a 50‑metre radius are already in HMO use. That approach was tested at Sefton’s Planning Committee on 14 January 2026, when councillors considered applications including one for 1A Fulwood Way on the Pendle Estate in Litherland. Local campaigners on the Pendle Estate collected more than 600 signatures opposing the proposed conversion.
Sefton also operates re‑designated Selective and Additional (HMO) licensing schemes for private rented housing. Those schemes were re‑designated to run from 1 March 2023 until February 2028. Landlords in the designated areas must apply for licences and meet licence conditions; failure to licence properties or to meet required standards can lead to enforcement action and penalties. The council says licensing and planning controls are being used together to improve standards and protect neighbourhoods.
These local controls come ahead of national reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act, the first major provisions of which come into force on 1 May 2026 and will change landlords’ obligations and tenants’ protections. Sefton says it will continue to consider all new HMO applications against the Article 4 Direction and the council’s 10%/50‑metre threshold when deciding whether to approve conversions.
