Asylum seeker housing prompts city planning probe

City leaders are investigating whether a property rented by Serco to house asylum seekers has the planning permission needed to be used as a house of multiple occupancy - amid uncertainty about whether the rules were properly followed.

The house in the Tuebrook area of Liverpool is understood to be housing up to five people.

Serco told the BBC it had received two licences from the council to use the house, dating back to 2019. Liverpool City Council said it would investigate and "determine any further action" that needed to be taken in relation to planning issues.

The council's Liberal group leader Steve Radford said different departments did not know what each other were doing.

Earlier this year, the BBC reported how the council's private sector housing team had placed people into HMOs that the planning department had refused planning permission for.

Speaking about the Serco house investigation, Radford said: "It's quite clear planning is out of control.

"HMOs are popping up everywhere and there is no co-ordination between planning and housing. The system is in chaos."

Under planning law, the responsibility for getting planning permission for a conversion does not rest with the tenant sub-letting the property.

Land Registry records show the building has been owned by a company called Mickelbo Ltd since 2012.

The BBC has been unable to find any evidence of any planning applications relating to the property in Liverpool City Council records.

But it is possible a conversion at some point since 2012 may have been allowed under what are called "permitted development rights", under which full planning approval is not required.

Liverpool City Council said it was investigating what the current status of the property was.

A spokesman said: "The council's planning and housing functions operate under separate statutory frameworks, and the granting of a property licence does not remove the requirement for any necessary planning permissions.

"A planning contravention notice has been issued to establish the facts relating to the use of the property.

"The council will consider the information received and determine any further action in accordance with planning legislation and its established procedures.

"As this matter remains under consideration, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Serco confirmed it had been using the property since 2019 and had "held two, five-year HMO licences granted by Liverpool City Council in 2019 and 2024".

The BBC has been unable to contact Mickelbo Ltd.

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