Statement

Richard Vernon Urban Space Limited 59 Arbory Street Castletown IM9 1LL Miss Abigail Morgan Planning Officer Planning and Building Control Directorate First Floor Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas IM1 2SF 23 January 2017 Dear Miss Morgan

Re: House in Multiple Occupancy - Chesterfield, 4 Mona Drive Douglas IM2 4LG

I am the owner of the Chesterfield, 4 Mona Drive Douglas and have been since 2008. The premises has been used since 2008 as a quasi-guesthouse; permanently accommodating upto 31 people in 18 rooms over 4 floors; some sharing a toilet and bathroom. The self contained basement area was rented as a flat.

Between 2007 & 2008 I had correspondence with Mr John Howie from DEFRA with regard HMO’s in the Isle of Man which at that time were illegal. I determined from this correspondence that although operating a guesthouse as a HMO was indeed illegal there was an eagerness by DEFRA to pass HMO licensing legislation for the Isle of Man.

I bought the building from Ken Bower in 2008 who had also been using the building as an HMO. On completion of this sale in 2008 I inherited all his long-term tenants and began collecting all rents thereafter.

In 2009, DEFRA determined that the building was and had been operating as an HMO but no court proceedings would commence against me as it was the intention of this department to pass legislation to licence HMO’s. However, I was advised by DEFRA to seek planning consent for the basement area to become a self-contained flat. I willingly obliged to this request as I did not wish to risk being prosecuted.

I am now in discussion with Mr Glenn Blacker to licence this building as an HMO with DEFRA for a licence to accommodate less numbers of people than I have done in the past. The historic levels of occupancy have been a maximum of 31 people in 18 rooms over 4 floors and a flat registration allowing a maximum of 6 people in the basement self-contained flat. A potential of 37 people staying in the building at anyone time.

I now wish to apply for a 28 person HMO DEFRA licence; 27 people in 16 rooms over 4 floors with only 1 person in the basement area. However, it is equally important for me to establish where I stand with the Planning Department. The 2009 registration of the self-contained basement flat with DEFRA and a successful 2009 planning application at appeal for the flat has been of no real benefit to me. Merely an exercise to make a quasi-guesthouse slightly less illegal.

Can I kindly request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss with your thoughts on establishing this building as a historic HMO; for the basement area to be reinstated back into the whole building as it once was and thus enabling the basement area to become a secondary kitchen, living room and communal space area to the above levels. This plan is favourable with DEFRA and I trust lowering the maximum occupancy of the basement level from the current 6 persons to 1 person is a favourable starting point with Planning.

Kind regards

Richard Vernon Urban Space Limited

[email protected]