Welsh council granted certificate to show it was lawful for it to house people in a bedsit for at least 10 years

Twm Owen, Local democracy reporter

A council has been granted a certificate showing it was lawful for it to house people in a bedsit for at least 10 years.

The council asked its own planning department to issue the certificate as it intends buying the property and still using it as a house of multiple occupation, or HMO, for those in need of temporary accommodation.

Information submitted by Monmouthshire County Council as part of its application for a certificate of lawfulness showed it had signed a tenancy agreement for one room at 82 Somerset Way at two-storey end of terrace property at Bulwark, Chepstow in May 2015.

The application stated the property has been used as a HMO “since at least 2015” and the council has leased six rooms from the owner for use as temporary accommodation.

Its application stated it wanted to ensure the certificate “is in place” as it is purchasing the property and will continue to use it as a HMO. However it will reduce the number of bedrooms from six to four.

Monmouthshire council planning officer Kate Young said: “The only issue to be considered in this application is whether, on the balance of probability, the property outlined in red on the submitted site plan has been continually occupied for 10 years as a HMO.”

Ms Young said the council has since supplied copies of tenancy agreements for all six rooms dating back to 2015 and a copy of the lease agreement between the council and the property owner from 2018 for a 10-year term.

She said the planning department had no evidence that contradicted the information provided in the application and approved granting the certificate.

The 2015 agreement shows at the time the council was paying rent of £110 a week for one room and would pay £70 a week if the room was vacant.