A Stockport man living on a 'little estate' says he has 'never been treated like this' after a neighbour's plans turned the area into a 'mess' and an 'eyesore'. People living in Portwood fear their 'tight knit community' is changing because of new HMOs.

Robert Burnett, from Portwood just outside the Stockport town, complained to the LDRS as he believes Stockport Council have not done enough to tackle issues linked with plans for a new five-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) next door. HMOs are houses where multiple unrelated people live together.

They can provide a more affordable and flexible form of accommodation for young professionals and students but they also often raise a number of concerns from people living in the nearby area.

Mr Burnett and others on his street are worried about a number of problems they see as linked to an increase in HMOs across the estate. These range from traffic and parking issues on 'already clogged up streets' to a feeling their concerns are being very quickly dismissed or ignored

He said: "We are a little estate but we seem to have become the epicentre. Two shops and no play area but other areas do not have any HMOs. Either the whole country takes part but you have some posh areas like Bramhall that do not have any. It's not fair."

Out of the 21 council wards across Stockport, less than one in ten are in Portwood and the wider Brinnington and Central ward. This would suggest numbers are above average.

Under current UK law, there is no formal route to object to HMOs housing less than seven people as they do not need planning permission. However councils can bring in a specific policy called an Article 4 direction that can require planning permission for any HMO.

Motions have been presented to Stockport Council as far back as 2022 and another 2026 Edgeley Community Association call for action criticised delays over any policy being brought forward.

A new plan is promised to include a strengthened policy providing greater control over HMOs across the borough. On July 9, Coun Jake Austin also said there would be a number of options brought before councillors in the future which would help identify the direction the council wanted to go in.

However Mr Burnett does not feel the council has done enough to enforce the issues in Portwood, telling the LDRS the local authority had 'just fobbed me off', adding: 'If that is what the law says then the law needs changing'.

He said: "You have seen the mess. Any visitor looking at the area and looking to buy, they will be put off entirely. They look at a nice garden on my side and then a rubbish tip next door.

"The rules are unfair and they need changing. Honestly the fact that if people like myself want an extension or a conservatory, I would have to get planning permission but these people can turn up and do what they want."

Mr Burnett has also complained of builders 'throwing rubble out of upstairs windows and patio doors' and believes the council should have quickly taken action 'before we have rats or mice sheltering in this pile of rubble and going looking for food'. A garden which he had previously helped maintain is now 'an eyesore'.

In June, those carrying out work next door to his property also dug up a shared passageway. In a furious email to the building company involved, he wrote to the building firm tasked with the work at the time, telling them: "This has been done without my permission and means I cannot put my bins out for collection.

"So much so as I live in a nice tight knit community where we all look out for and help each other, my neighbour nearly had an accident on Sunday evening when she went to check if any of my bins needed emptying."

Mr Burnett and others in the area are currently being supported by their councillors. Reform councillor Shaun Regan said: "The area already has a high number of HMOs, and residents questioned the impact on parking, local services, and the standard of some of the work being carried out."

"After making enquiries with Stockport Council, I was told that planning permission was not required and that an HMO licence would be issued before anyone moved in.

"This is exactly the sort of thing that frustrates local people. Residents often face hurdles when making relatively small changes to their own homes, yet conversions like this can proceed with no public scrutiny or consultation.

"There are already around 150 licensed HMOs in Stockport, with more appearing every month. Increasingly, residents are asking whether local communities have any real say over the changes taking place around them."

He criticised the Liberal Democrat council for not voting to bring in restrictions, adding: "With HMOs continuing to increase across the borough, many residents will be asking whether that was the right decision."

Labour councillor Christine Carrigan has also been raising the issue, telling the LDRS that HMOs had a role to play but 'must be in the right places, in the right numbers, and managed to a high standard'.

She added: "Too often, however, we see areas becoming saturated with HMOs, placing additional pressure on communities and changing the character of neighbourhoods. That isn't fair on existing residents, and it isn't good housing policy.

"I've long believed that relying on HMOs as an easy way to meet housing targets is a race to the bottom. We should be focused on delivering genuinely good-quality homes that people and families can build their lives in, not simply increasing numbers on a spreadsheet."

In response, Coun Jake Austin, cabinet member for housing and environment at Stockport Council, said: "We recognise the concerns residents have raised about the proposed HMO in Portwood and the impact that high concentrations of HMOs can have in some communities.

"If they are of good quality and well maintained, HMOs can play a role in meeting the borough's housing needs through affordable accommodation.

"However, we also know that where there are growing numbers of HMOs in one area, particularly where properties are not well managed, concerns are raised about the impact on neighbourhoods and community cohesion. We know this is an important issue, and we are listening.

"That's why I have already asked officers to consider what options are available to help protect communities while continuing to manage future housing growth and meet local housing need. As part of this work, the council is currently in the process of gathering evidence to consider Article 4 intervention across the borough which can further regulate HMOs.

"In this case, the proposed use of the property in Portwood falls within national permitted development rights and does not require planning permission from the council."

The builders involved with the project have told the LDRS they are no longer involved and were 'neither the owner or the main contractor'. The LDRS has also repeatedly approached the property owner's planning agent on multiple occasions.