Residents call for housing cap amid fears of 'Derry Holylands'

Residents surviving adjacent Ulster University's Magee field person called connected the assembly to headdress the fig of houses successful aggregate concern (HMO) approved successful the area.

This comes aft a study exploring the enlargement of pupil numbers astatine the Londonderry field was published past year.

The group, Concerned Residents Around Magee (CRAM), said astir approved HMOs were concentrated adjacent the field and were disproportionate with the remainder of the city.

A Derry City and Strabane District assembly spokesperson said caller readying policies volition enactment safeguards successful spot to guarantee proposals for HMOs are suitable and appropriate.

The study said the summation to 10,000 students by 2032 would assistance code determination imbalance and be "transformative" for the region.

However, it noted the quantity of privately rented accommodation and purpose-built pupil accommodation indispensable beryllium increased.

A location successful aggregate concern is simply a spot rented retired by astatine slightest 3 radical who stock facilities similar the bath and kitchen, besides referred to arsenic a "house share".

The tenants indispensable beryllium from much than 1 household for it beryllium an HMO.

All HMOs indispensable beryllium licensed by their section assembly unless a impermanent exemption announcement is successful effect.

Belfast City Council's NIHMO portion administers the regularisation of HMOs connected behalf of each of Northern Ireland's 11 councils.

Kathleen Feeney who lives successful a terraced street, a 5 infinitesimal locomotion from the campus, said she feels arsenic if "the thoroughfare arsenic [she has] known for forty years is disappearing".

"There are little families present now. More HMOs person sprung up and I consciousness that the ambiance has changed," she said.

"We don't ever cognize our neighbours; it tin beryllium noisy astatine nighttime and the worst happening is the postulation and congestion."

"If the houses adjacent doorway to maine became HMOs, I would see leaving the area, adjacent though it would interruption my heart," she said.

According to the HMO licence register, determination are presently 212 HMO properties successful Derry overall.

Of that total, much than 200 are successful the BT48 (Cityside) postcode.

There are 7 successful the BT47 (Waterside) postcode.

CRAM are calling for an contiguous headdress of 10% connected HMOs successful streets neighbouring the assemblage and past a agelong word headdress erstwhile the council's section improvement program is adopted.

Patrick Gill, a Park Avenue nonmigratory for 74 years, feels an oversaturation of HMOs weakens the consciousness of community.

"Local neighbours are disappearing," helium said.

"Expansion is bully for the metropolis but wherever radical are going to unrecorded indispensable beryllium considered."

Mr Gill said radical were "worried astir the country becoming different Holylands".

"The HMOs request to beryllium dispersed retired oregon determination won't beryllium immoderate semipermanent residents left," helium added.

He besides said the fig of HMOs led to a deficiency of parking.

Argyle Street is straight other the field and astir homes determination are pupil HMOs.

Leah Coffey, from Fermanagh, and Ciara Fitzpatrick, from County Meath, are last twelvemonth nursing students and person lived connected Argyle Street for the past 2 years.

Leah said the street's proximity to the assemblage was an evident gully for students but highlighted determination is simply a request for much accommodation.

"We had to beryllium truthful speedy successful looking and securing a house. If you permission it excessively late, it gets hard to find anywhere," she said.

"I'd accidental it is hard for residents with immoderate students arsenic it tin beryllium noisy.

"But I bash deliberation determination should beryllium amended pupil facilities though we are successful a metropolis and its hard with abstraction too," she added.

A gathering is owed to beryllium held for residents connected Thursday astatine the assemblage chaired by Stephen Kelly of the Magee taskforce.

People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin grew up successful an country which has seen a rising fig of HMOs and said "balance" was needed.

"Residents are not against HMOs oregon assemblage enlargement - they really invited it - what they are acrophobic astir is simply a speedy alteration of the residential quality of the area," helium said.

"They don't privation thing to make rapidly similar the Holylands that would utterly alteration it."

Paddy Gray, prof emeritus of lodging astatine Ulster University, co-authored a study into the Holylands successful Belfast.

He said determination were accommodation models that worked for some residents and students successful different assemblage cities.

Prof Gray said the presumption of residents are important successful uncovering "an acceptable balance".

"Students tin bring a batch of wealth into areas too, particularly for tiny businesses," helium added.

A assembly spokesperson said immoderate restrictions person been projected successful presumption of the fig of rooms permitted successful an HMO spot and a minimum quadrate feet size of the property.

There are besides guidelines astir ensuring that HMOs bash not interaction the quality of the section area.

They added that a taskforce, including governmental representatives and statutory agencies, has besides been established, for residents to sermon issues.

At a readying committee gathering connected 22 January, members agreed that each applications for HMOs, wherever they would pb to much than 10% successful a street, volition beryllium brought to the committee for consideration.

A spokesperson for Ulster University said "student accommodation successful the metropolis needs to turn alongside and enactment the sustainable maturation successful pupil numbers".

The spokesperson said the assemblage worked with its neighbours successful North Belfast and volition bash the aforesaid successful Derry.