The Council has decided to enact an Article 4 Direction on 24th September 2025 under Article 4 (1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended).
The Direction removes the permitted development rights for the change of use from a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouse) of the Schedule to Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) to a use falling within Class C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation) of the said Order and not being development comprised within any other Class.
The Direction will apply to parts of Appleton, Central & West Bank, Halebank, Mersey & Weston, Beechwood & Heath, Grange, Bridgewater, Halton Castle, Halton Lea, Norton North and Norton South & Weston Brook, within the Borough of Halton.
The Article 4 Direction will not affect existing small HMOs. It only applies to changes of use which take place on or after 24th September 2025, within the defined areas.
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), the list of associated documents, and the map defining the area please use the following weblink: https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/planning/Article4.aspx
Further details on where the relevant documents can be inspected in person are included in the notice.
The Council will consider any representations submitted from 24 September 2025 to 5 November 2025 in deciding whether to confirm the Direction.
Any representations should be submitted by email to Forward.planning@halton.gov.uk or in writing to:
Planning Policy Team,
PO Box 317,
Runcorn,
WA7 9BZ.
A further notice will be published stating whether or not the Direction has been confirmed by the Council.