Knowsley’s Cabinet is due to consider a proposal to remove the permitted development right for changing a dwellinghouse into a small HMO on 14th October 2026.
The proposed Knowsley HMO controls could mean that a qualifying change from C3 dwellinghouse to C4 small HMO would need a planning application within the area eventually covered. The announcement does not itself remove that right.
As at 17th September 2026, this remains a proposal at the pre-Direction stage. No operative date or formal geographical boundary has been established in the published material checked.
What has Knowsley announced?
In its official announcement of 16th September 2026, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council says a report proposing the removal of the relevant permitted development rights will go to Cabinet in October. The council reports cross-party support for the proposal.
The stated aim is greater oversight of where HMOs are located. If the necessary controls were introduced, the council could assess affected proposals against planning policy and evidence of harm to the surrounding area.
It is not yet possible to say precisely what councillors will be asked to authorise, such as preparing a Direction, formally making one or starting consultation.
The Cabinet papers are still to come
Planning Geek checked the actual meeting entry through the council’s meetings portal. It lists Cabinet for 4.00 pm on 14th October 2026 and states that the agenda will be displayed in the week before the meeting.
Without the report and any appendices, there is no reliable basis for describing the proposal as borough-wide, ward-based or targeted at particular neighbourhoods.
No formal HMO Article 4 Direction or accompanying map has been identified in the published material checked. The same applies to a consultation timetable and proposed commencement date.
What evidence supports the Knowsley HMO proposal?
The announcement explains the council’s intended planning purpose, but does not provide figures showing HMO growth or concentrations. It also does not publish detailed evidence about housing mix, parking, waste, amenity or antisocial behaviour.
Planning Geek’s view: the evidence and proposed boundary will be central to understanding the measure. Political support explains why the proposal is progressing; it does not tell property owners which addresses would be affected.
How would an Article 4 Direction change the position?
In England, Class L(b) normally permits a qualifying change from C3 to C4 without a planning application, subject to the applicable restrictions. C4 covers small HMOs occupied by up to six residents.
An Article 4 Direction can withdraw that specified right. It does not automatically prohibit HMOs or require every subsequent planning application to be refused.
For a Direction without immediate effect, the usual sequence under Schedule 3 of the GPDO is:
- The council considers its evidence and decides how to proceed
- A Direction is formally made, identifying the development and land affected
- The council gives the required publicity and invites representations
- The council considers representations and decides whether to confirm it
- The confirmed Direction takes effect on its specified date
Immediate Directions follow a different timetable and require confirmation within six months to remain in force. Knowsley has not yet published enough detail to establish which procedure it proposes to use.
What should owners and landlords check?
Check the property’s lawful planning use, any relevant planning conditions and the actual Direction if one is subsequently made. An HMO licence does not grant planning permission, although licensing records may form part of the evidence of lawful HMO use.
Our HMO Article 4 map and Direction list should be read alongside the official documents and dates. Knowsley’s current status for our Article 4 watch is Proposal / pre-Direction stage, with no inferred boundary.
If you need help assessing the planning position of a particular property, contact Planning Geek.
Created: 17th September 2026
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