Sarah Hall

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. On roads where people have raised families for decades, homes are being bought up, divided and converted into HMOs, often in what feels like a matter of days, and often by scalpers from out of town who are looking to turn a quick profit. My constituents tell me that they wake up one morning to find a skip outside, walls being knocked down and new tenants moving in next door—with no consultation and no conversation. That is what happens when planning rules overlook communities. It should be about balance, respect and the right of communities to have a voice in the places they call home. People are worried about noise, parking, waste and antisocial behaviour, but they are also worried about something deeper: the fabric of their streets and communities. A new mum told me that she can no longer open her baby’s window at night because of the constant comings and goings next door. Another resident said they felt powerless, like they were watching their community disappear before their eyes. At the same time, young families are being priced out of the very homes that once offered their parents a start in life. These are not isolated frustrations; they are warning signs that planning rules have not kept pace with reality. Right now, a family home can be turned into a small HMO without the need for planning permission, and that loophole has left councils and residents powerless to manage overconcentration without entering a laborious process. I welcome the steps that Warrington borough council is taking, with an article 4 direction for the central six wards, but that still leaves the rest of my constituency without the additional layer of protection. Local councils need the power to plan with purpose, not just to react after damage is done. A national framework and a change to the rules that respects local communities would give residents faith that development is something done with them and not to them. Yes, we need affordable rooms, but not at the cost of affordable homes. Fair rules, good homes and tidy streets— that is the foundation of trust that local communities deserve. Until planning rules catch up with the reality on our streets, communities like mine will keep paying the price. It is time the system worked for the people who call these streets home.