Agenda and minutes

          No apologies for inability to attend were reported.

The minutes of the meeting of 18th March 2026, were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st April.

            The NIHMO Manager highlighted the recent publicity campaign, from 26th January to 6th February, 2026, which had coincided with the commencement of the letting season for students for the 2026/27 academic year.  The campaign had encouraged students and other prospective tenants to check that their next shared rental was licensed as a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO).  The Council had boosted social media adverts, website pop-ups, banners, a press release and an article on Interlink to promote the campaign.

            He also provided the Committee with statistics on the public level of engagement with the HMO section on the Council’s website.

            The Members were advised that, between 1st January and 31st March, 2026, the HMO section of the Council’s website had received the following level of engagement:

            During the campaign period, the web page had received 338 views, representing a 55.8% increase compared to the previous two-week period.

            The Committee noted the update which had been provided.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The report is intended to give members an update on the activity of the NIHMO service during the financial year 2025/26.

1.2       Belfast City Council’s NIHMO service, on behalf of each of the 11 Northern Ireland Councils is responsible for managing the HMO Licensing Scheme application process, which includes processing all licence requests, validating the requests, checks and inspections of HMO properties, issuing enforcement notices and dealing with breaches of licensing conditions.

1.3       The granting, refusal, variation or revocation of an HMO licence rests with the individual Council.

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to note the activity of the NIHMO service during the financial year 2025/26.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

            HMO Licensing

3.1       Table 1 provides a summary of the number of HMO’s licensed on 31 March 2026

            Table 1

3.2       Table 2 provides a summary of the number of licenses granted and renewed during the financial year 2025/26.

            Table 2

            Note: New applications include those properties which had a license in the name of a different licensee and were subsequently sold / transferred.

3.3       Table 3 provides a summary of the number of HMO licence applications that have not been successful (by reason) during the financial year 2025/26

            Table 3

The Committee noted the applications that had been issued under the Scheme of Delegation during March.

The Committee noted a list of applications for licences which had, since its last meeting, been approved under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.

            The NIHMO Manager provided the Committee with an overview of the application.

            He outlined that the property had had the benefit of an HMO licence issued by the Council with an expiry date of 1st August, 2023.  The ownership of the property had transferred to Mr. M. Baskin in May 2023.  The Council had not been made aware of the change of ownership at the time.

            In accordance with Section 28 “Change of ownership: effect on licence” of the 2016 Act, the licence in the name of the previous owner ceased to have effect on the date of transfer.

            An inspection of the property had taken place on 4th December, 2025, at which time it was established that the property was being occupied as an unlicensed HMO.

            An application for a new HMO licence was received from Mr Baskin on 4th December, 2025.          

            A Temporary Exemption Notice was granted on 20th January, 2026, with an expiry date of 20th April, 2026.

The NIHMO Manager outlined that, pursuant to the 2016 Act, the Council could only grant a licence if it was satisfied that:

a)     the occupation of the living accommodation as an HMO would not constitute a breach of planning control;

b)     the owner, and any managing agent of it, were fit and proper persons;

c)     the proposed management arrangements were satisfactory;

d)     the granting of the licence would not result in overprovision of HMOs in the locality;

e)     the living accommodation was fit for human habitation and—

                                   i.        was suitable for occupation as an HMO by the number of persons to be specified in the licence, or

                                 ii.        could be made so suitable by including conditions in the licence.

            The Planning Service had confirmed that a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development (CLEUD) was granted on 15th March, 2022.

            It was reported that the NIHMO Unit had consulted with the Environmental Protection Unit in relation to daytime noise; the Public Health and Housing Unit in relation to rubbish accumulation/filthy premises; and the Enforcement Unit in relation to litter and waste and all had confirmed that there had been no relevant enforcement action required in respect of any of the issues in the HMO in the last 5 years.

            The NIHMO Manager drew the Committee’s attention to the action taken in relation to the occupation of the accommodation as an unlicensed HMO.

For the purpose of Section 12(2) of the 2016 Act, the Council had determined the locality of the accommodation as being Housing Management Area (HMA) “2/21 Ulsterville” as defined in the document Council’s Local Development Plan Strategy, which was formally adopted in May, 2023.  It was reported that Legal Services had advised that there was a clear requirement in section 8 of the 2016 Act upon the Council to be satisfied that the granting of a licence would not result in overprovision.

The officers had had regard to:

a)     the number and capacity of licensed HMOs in the locality; and

b)     the need for housing accommodation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

            The Director of Planning and Building Control presented the following report to the Committee:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       Committee will recall that, at your meeting of 17 September 2025, you gave approval to initiate the statutory public notice consultation process for the designation of a site outside 44e Glen Road, for the sale of hot and cold food and non-alcoholic drinks. 

1.2       This site had been identified as a result of an application received requesting designation to allow trade from this location.  A location map is attached as appendix 1.

1.3       The statutory designation process involved seeking comments from the relevant statutory bodies and from the public through a public notice placed in two newspapers, with a statutory 28 day period for representations to be made to the Council.

1.4       The purpose of this report is to enable the Committee to now consider the designation proposal in conjunction with the representations received and to make a decision on whether or not to pass the designation resolution and designate the proposed site.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is requested to consider the representations received as a result of the public notice consultation process and reconsider the proposal. On the basis of the objections received and consultation responses from PSNI and DfI (Roads) it is recommended that the committee:

-       Determine not to pass a designation resolution.

2.2       However, should members be minded to pass a Designating Resolution it is recommended that:

-       Only the part of the street, specifically the proposed site should be designated so the Council may allocate a street trading pitch;

-       An operational date of 1 June 2026 is agreed for the resolution to take effect (This must be not less than one month from the date of passing the resolution);

-       Members consider and confirm that they wish to include only hot and cold food and non-alcoholic drinks as the designated commodities; and

-       Members consider any other reasonable conditions that should be applied to any subsequent stationary street trading licence issued for the designated site, such as days and hours of trade or duration of licence.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       Under the provisions of the Street Trading Act (NI) 2001 a district council has powers to designate and rescind the designation of specific streets or parts of streets as being suitable for street trading. The Act also allows a council to include the commodities or services to be supplied in the designation resolution, and to vary a previous designating resolution in relation to these.

3.2       If a street has not been designated under the Act the Council cannot issue a licence for street trading from a stationary position in that street.

3.3       The process of considering and reviewing the designation of streets is therefore an essential part of the legal framework within which the Council is enabled to regulate street trading in the City.

            Key Issues

3.4       The Street Trading Act (NI) 2001 sets out the designation public notice consultation process. 

3.5       The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report

1.1       At the Committee meeting of the 16 April 2025 it was agreed that consultation on revised street trading fees should be undertaken on the basis of a fee increase that was a calculated mid way increase between an inflationary increase and an increase to reflect cost recovery of processing street trading applications. Minutes of 16 April 2025 Licensing Committee meeting are included as Appendix 1.

1.2       At your meeting of the 18 March 2026, the Committee considered representations on the proposed fees for street trading licences, which had been received in response to the consultation process as set out in the Street Trading Act N.I. 2001.  

1.3       At that meeting, Members agreed to defer a decision on the report and asked that offices bring forward revised proposals for an initial inflationary increase with staged further increases.  

1.4       This report once again details the consultation and representations received for further consideration and provides the requested amended fee proposals for Members to consider.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is requested to consider the contents of the report and recommended to:

1.      Agree to the initial inflationary uplift in year 1 as set out in paragraph 3.19 for Street Trading Licences, effective from the 1 June 2026, and

2.      Agree that in April 2027 and April 2028 an inflationary uplift will be added as well as a further 10% increase in fees.

3.0       Main Report

            Key Issues

3.1       Members are reminded that the Street Trading Act N.I. 2001 gives the Council powers that it may charge such fees as may be sufficient to cover any reasonable administrative or other costs in connection administering the Street Trading Licence Scheme.

3.2       Below is a summary of the current fees and the fees the Committee agreed should be consulted on, following consideration of three fee options, at your meeting of 16 April 2025.

            Consultation/Public Notice

3.3       Consultation on the proposed fees was for the statutory public notice 28 day period, as required by the Act. The public notice period closed on 18 February 2026. 

3.4       Notice of the consultation was published in the two newspapers as required by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e