Illiberal, unjust and tantamount to regulatory blackmail.

the great communicator...

Alan Whitehead is stepping up his campaign to stop houses becoming 'Houses of Multiple Occupation'.* Actually what he is actually doing is running a campaign to stop family houses be bought by private buyers and then converted to student houses. His chosen instument to achieve this is to regulate the market by introducing a system of licensing as well as beefing up planning controls. In essence, private landlords will no longer be able to buy and let properties on the open market and people will no-longer be able to choose in which areas they rent.

How illiberal, unjust and tantamount to regulatory blackmail is that?

Interestingly enough, Mr Whitehead ought to attend some of Southampton's Planning & Rights of Way Panel meetings. The Labour members consistantly vote for the destruction of family housing and the erection of flats across the city. When they were in control, the Council's 'local plan' did nothing to protect such housing and the Lib-Dems chose not to change it when they assumed control. In fairness, now the Conservatives have taken power, we have started a review of the plan; I have to say the progress to date is almost glacial however.

(*In fact, as I understand it, the definition of an HMO is either a house that contains 6 rooms or more or a 3 story property or more. Mr Whitehead appears to include all rented property in his definition).