'We are being ghettoised' - Residents protest at plans to turn Greater Manchester pub into HMO

They gathered outside the Crispin Arms on Birkett Bank in the Scholes area of the town to object to the plans to transform it into a 15-bedroom residence. Two Independent councillors, Maureen O’Bern and Tony Whyte, were also there as nearly 300 people from neighbouring streets met to register their fury at the ‘proliferation’ of HMOs in the town.

Passing motorists blew their horns in approval as the throng of protesters grew in number. Coun O’Bern, who is also standing as an Independent candidate for Wigan in the General Election on Thursday (July 4), claims up to 70 per cent of the HMOs in the town are owned by out-of-town investors.

Applicant Remko Holdings Ltd has submitted an application to redevelop the pub, which became vacant last year, for the change of use which they say ‘will help address housing demand in Wigan and reduce pressure to develop green field and green belt sites’.

However, ex-military serviceman Steven Anderson, 66, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was facing eviction after being served with a Section 21 notice, and claimed he would soon be homeless.

“These HMO properties are not being made available to people on the housing waiting list,” he said. “Soon I will be homeless and properties like this will be for people other than me. The owner of the property I live in is evicting me after nine years after putting the rent up because of the increase in their mortgage interest rate.”

Coun Whyte told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “If these kind of properties are being allocated to people on the current housing waiting list, there would be nothing wrong with it. But that is not the case. They are being given to people with drug addiction problem and people on bail from criminal proceedings, which is creating huge anti-social issues in this area.”

Neighbours Paige Dickinson, 57, and her daughter Jacqueline, 31, said the anti-social problems started when the Crispin Arms was a functioning pub.

“It was horrendous,” said Paige. “And it will be even worse if it becomes an HMO. There are many vulnerable people living around here who are worried about what will happen. There are already huge problems with crime, drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in this area surrounding other nearby HMOs.”

Jacqueline said: “What re really need round here is some kind of mini-store like a Tesco, or a building that could be used by the community.”

Sharon Poole, 55, said she lived next door to an HMO in a nearby street. “There is noise, excessive rubbish and lots of anti-social behaviour,” she said. “We are being ghettoised in this area.”

Coun O’Bern added: “We’ve reached saturation point with HMOs. Some 70% of them are owned by out-of-town investors. Some of them don’t even live in this country. They are pricing us out of our homes. Women and children should not be housed in hotels and hostels. Wigan council needs to address this issue.”

There are currently 183 licensed HMOs with five or more tenants who form more than one household and who share toilet, bathroom and kitchen facilities in Wigan, according to the town’s register of such properties in the town.

A Wigan Council spokesperson said “The council has received a planning application for a house in multiple occupation at the Crispin Arms, Birkett Bank. Comments can be submitted via our website and a decision will be made on the application in due course.”