FOI request (FOIR-765578592)

Request regarding HMO data and Article 4 calculation

Requested Fri 14 November 2025
Responded Tue 13 January 2026

I am submitting a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

A recent planning decision for 52 Mount Pleasant (HS/FA/25/00306) states:

“The number of HMOs within 100 metres of this site has been calculated and identifies that there are 2 HMOs and 197 properties within the 100 metre radius. The proposal therefore complies with Policy H4 of the Hastings Planning Strategy.”

To understand how this calculation was carried out, I am requesting the following information.

1. The total number of licensed HMOs (five or more occupants) within the 100 metre radius used for this assessment.

2. The total number of unlicensed small HMOs (C4 use class with three or four unrelated tenants) within the same 100 metre radius.

3. The specific dataset or internal records used to identify both licensed and unlicensed HMOs for the purposes of this calculation.

For clarity, I am referring to the council’s own policy documents which define how HMO concentration must be calculated.

The Hastings HMO Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) states:

Section 3.3:
“The concentration test relates to the total number of HMOs within the defined radius, not only those that require a licence.”

Section 3.5:
“The percentage of HMOs is calculated by identifying all HMOs within a 100 metre radius of the application site. This includes both licensed HMOs and small HMOs (C4 use class) that do not require a licence.”

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Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding. 

1. Information not held

2. Information not held

3. The number of HMOs is based on a list of HMOs provided by Housing on Apr 2024, Council Tax on Apr 2025 and LLPG HMO classification as of the date of the calculation being 01/08/25. This information is then grouped together and where the same property is identified as being an HMO on more than one list it is only counted once.

The HMO register can be viewed on our website at http://ws.hastings.gov.uk/Northgate/LOL/Online/EGov/License_Registers/Registers_Criteria.aspx