We, the undersigned, call on Cherwell District Council, Sean Woodcock MP and local councillors to take urgent action to protect Queens Road and surrounding streets in Banbury, Oxfordshire, from the unchecked conversion of small family homes into high-density HMOs, including where such properties may be used for supported or temporary accommodation.

This is a social justice issue.

Our concern is not with the people who may live in these properties. Many residents of supported housing are among the most vulnerable members of our society, including young care leavers taking their first steps towards independence, refugees rebuilding their lives after displacement, women fleeing domestic abuse, people experiencing mental ill-health and others facing periods of crisis or instability.

These individuals deserve safe, decent and well-managed homes that support their wellbeing and long-term prospects. Residents are concerned that, without proper scrutiny and regulation, the conversion of modest family homes into intensive shared accommodation may not always deliver the quality, space, support and stability that vulnerable people need.

The immediate concern is the redevelopment of 41 Queens Road. Residents are seeking clarity on the intended use of the property, expected occupancy level, safety arrangements, planning position, licensing requirements, management arrangements and whether the property may be used as supported, temporary or council-commissioned accommodation.

Across the country, local authorities face acute shortages of suitable accommodation. This can create opportunities for private developers and landlords to make significant profits by converting ordinary family homes into high-density shared accommodation and leasing them for supported, temporary or council-funded housing. Where this happens, it is essential that public money is used responsibly, that housing is genuinely suitable and that vulnerable people are not placed in cramped, unsafe or poorly managed accommodation.

Queens Road has a proud history as a residential community built around working families and social housing. That history matters. Residents are concerned about the cumulative impact of losing modest family homes to increasingly intensive forms of shared accommodation, particularly where private profit may be driving decisions that affect vulnerable residents, neighbouring households and the wider community.

The choice is not between supporting vulnerable people and protecting communities. We should be doing both. The real question is how local authorities can ensure that supported housing and HMOs are delivered in a way that is safe, appropriate, well-managed and genuinely in the public interest — rather than allowing family homes to be turned into profit-making shared housing with too little scrutiny, transparency or accountability.

We are asking decision-makers to:

• Carefully review the proposed redevelopment of 41 Queens Road and confirm that all relevant planning, building control, licensing, fire safety, safeguarding and housing standards requirements are being properly considered and enforced.
• Provide residents with clear information about the intended use of the property, expected occupancy, management arrangements, licensing requirements and any relationship with council-commissioned, temporary or supported accommodation.
• Review the cumulative impact of HMOs and intensive shared accommodation in the area, including the effect on family housing, parking, waste, noise, safety, community cohesion and local services.
• Explore whether stronger planning controls, including an Article 4 Direction or other local planning tools, are justified based on evidence of cumulative impact.
• Ensure that vulnerable people are not placed in accommodation that is cramped, unsuitable, unsafe, poorly managed or lacking appropriate support.
• Ensure that any private providers, developers or landlords benefiting financially from supported, temporary or council-funded housing are subject to proper scrutiny, quality standards, safeguarding requirements and value-for-money checks.
• Develop a clear local supported housing strategy based on need, housing quality, safeguarding, value for money, transparency and community impact.

This petition is not anti-HMO and it is not anti-supported housing. It is pro-decent housing, pro-community and pro-accountability.

We urge Cherwell District Council, Sean Woodcock MP and local councillors to ensure that housing policy serves the public interest and prioritises quality, accountability, vulnerable residents and community wellbeing over private profit.