Reform Lancashire Breaks South Ribble Borough Council Resistance and Forces Article 4 Victory on HMOs

Reform Lancashire Breaks South Ribble Borough Council Resistance and Forces Article 4 Victory on HMOs

After months of being ignored, stalled and stonewalled, Reform Lancashire has forced South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) to act.

On 28 January 2026, SRBC finally approved an immediate Article 4 Direction restricting the conversion of family homes into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
This removes permitted development rights for changes from Class C3 to Class C4, meaning planning permission is now required.

This decision is not a coincidence — it is the direct result of relentless pressure from Reform Lancashire.

Labour’s Failure Left South Ribble Exposed

For years, South Ribble was the only Borough in Lancashire without Article 4 protections.
While other councils acted, a Labour-led SRBC chose inaction, allowing small HMOs to spread without proper planning control.

The result?

• Family homes lost to uncontrolled HMO conversions
• Communities overwhelmed without consultation
• HMOs with fewer than five occupants operating without registration
• Residents ignored

Reform Lancashire repeatedly warned that this was unacceptable. SRBC refused to listen.

Reform Lancashire Would Not Let This Drop

A team of Reform County Councillors from Lancashire County Council — Andy Blake, Ellie Close, Fred Cottam, Simon Gummer, Tom Lord, Lorenzo More, and Hannah Whalley — led a months‑long campaign to force SRBC to do its job.

That campaign included:

• Freedom of Information requests exposing SRBC’s failure
• A documented trail of correspondence
• Direct emails to the SRBC Chief Executive
• Constant political pressure in the face of Labour silence

While SRBC delayed, Reform Lancashire CCs escalated it.
While others shrugged, Reform demanded answers.

SRBC Finally Caves

At its Cabinet meeting on 28 January 2026, SRBC approved:

• An immediate Article 4 Direction removing C3 → C4 permitted development rights
• Statutory notices and public consultation
• Notification of the Secretary of State
• An HMO Policy and Action Plan
• A proactive inspection regime

This represents a complete U‑turn by SRBC and an admission that Reform Lancashire was right all along.
This is a Reform UK victory for local residents.

Reform Lancashire Councillors said:

^{“Our actions over the past months have forced South Ribble Borough Council to adopt an Article 4 Direction with immediate effect.”}

^{They added:}

^{“This is a victory for South Ribble residents. Proper planning control now exists where Labour failed to provide it.”}

Let’s Be Absolutely Clear

This happened because Reform Lancashire kept pushing when others wouldn’t, to:

• Expose the failure
• Demand action
• Deliver results

As County Councillors, we will continue holding South Ribble Borough Council to account — loudly and publicly.