Birmingham City Council are letting students down by abandoning Bournbrook due to the large amount of HMOs* and students already living there. 

The Council has proposed to introduce an Article 4 Direction, essentially limiting certain rights to property owners in regards to planning laws, resulting in a change of rules for properties that contain 3-6 unrelated individuals. This proposal, Article 4 Direction, will affect the areas of Harborne, Selly Oak and Selly Park, but not Bournbrook because of the already high number of students living there.

If Article 4 passes, Bournbrook could turn into a ‘student ghetto’. This is unacceptable. Students, like everybody else, should be able to choose where they live and how many people to live with; this shouldn't be restricted by the Council.

Three main things to consider, as possible outcomes, if Article 4 passes include:

1. that rent levels in Bournbrook may continue to rise unchecked;

2. that the change will not improve the standard of housing in Bournbrook or the proposed area of implementation;

3. that students in future may either pay MORE. Or live miles away and have to COMMUTE into university at additional cost.

By signing this petition you, alongside the Guild of Students, will show the Council that student voices matter.

You can find more information on the Guild’s position here: http://www.guildofstudents.com/article4. To read why the Council has put forward this proposal go to http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/hmoarticle4.  

The City Council currently has an open consultation on Article 4 Direction to assess the views of local residents and other interested parties. The public consultation is running until Friday 31st January 2014. The Guild has also organised for the City Council to run a drop-in session at the Guild on Monday 27th January 2014, between 12noon – 3pm. We encourage you to visit the drop-in if you have any specific queries, concerns or views that you would like to raise with them directly

*HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) are homes whereby: at least three tenants live there, forming more than one household; or where tenants share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities.