A HOUSING campaigner who compared some city homes to 'human rabbit hutches' hopes rules will be tightened at a crunch meeting tomorrow.

Edward Kimberley has welcomed a prospective rule change over houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and hopes a 'loophole' will now be closed.

Mr Kimberley, a Labour activist, recently highlighted the state of parts of Tolladine in Worcester which included rotting offal left on a pavement and a garden used as a dumping ground for fly-tipped rubbish including old mattresses and believes many homes in the city are overcrowded.

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Worcester City Council last week confirmed new licensing rules for HMOs in Worcester could be rolled out to all remaining wards - if councillors back the scheme.

READ MORE: Rule change on human rabbit hutches needed says activist 

READ MORE: Tolladine tip - mattresses and rotting meat

When the city council’s communities committee meets at the city's Guildhall tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7pm, councillors will be asked to approve the change which will mean that HMO properties with fewer than five occupants will need to be licensed, as will converted buildings, in all wards of the city.

Mr Kimberley, 27, who spoke at Worcester Guildhall last November said 'migrant workers are packed into human rabbit hutches with no security, no safety, no dignity'.

Today he said: "If it passes, this rule change is an excellent first step. I will forever be baffled that a loophole was ever introduced into the council's HMO licensing rules, and this is clearly a win for everyone across the city. It's only fair that everyone should enjoy the same protections, no matter their postcode.

"However, we should be clear that this is only the first step on a long road. I am grateful that city councillors have shown they are willing to help tackle the problems holding Worcester housing back, and I hope that this will only be the first of many good things to come."

A house in multiple occupancy is defined as a property where three or more people in two or more households share a basic amenity such as a toilet, a bathroom or kitchen facilities. HMOs with occupancy of five or more people need to be licensed by the local authority under mandatory licensing before they can be let out to tenants.

Worcester City Council has also been operating an ‘additional licensing’ scheme in the city since September 2015. In 2020 this was amended to cover just the wards of Arboretum, Bedwardine, Cathedral and St Clements and St Johns, but city councillors are being asked to back a move to extend the additional licensing across the whole of the city.

The move comes after a motion was presented at council in November. Following this a consultation exercise was carried out asking local residents, landlords and agencies for their views on the idea. Of those who responded to the consultation, 80 per cent backed the implementation of the new additional licensing.