So what's the point of it? Well, it does serve a good purpose, and that is to ensure there is an even balance of housing within a specific area. For example, those of you that know the Headingley and Hyde Park areas of Leeds will know how densely populated they are by students and large HMO's, with very few family houses in sight.
In fact, at one point there were three schools serving Headingley and the families that lived there. Since the rapid increase of landlord owned houses over the last couple of decades, there is now only one school left in the area, for as families cashed in on selling their houses at inflated prices to investors, and students moved into the area to fill those houses, the demand for schools was no more.
Since then, there have been many campaign groups in Headingley pushing for a balance in housing, so the Article 4 Direction will be music to their ears.
The Article 4 Direction has been put into place to ensure that no more Class C4 HMO houses are developed by landlords and that as many family houses remain as possible in an attempt to bring back some balance to these areas. You know, kids playing outside and neighbours nattering over garden fences, rather than crumbling garden walls around overgrown gardens and student parties overflowing onto the street in the early hours of the morning.
Unfortunately for property developers and investors, the Article 4 Direction covers a much larger area than just Headingley and Hyde Park as you will see from the map here.
Whilst some people believe Article 4 Direction is a step in the right direction, there are definitely those whom oppose it. For example, there are those who believe it will displace groups such as students from areas close to universities and force them into other areas occupied by Housing Association tenants and low income households leading to unnecessary pressure on the housing stock in such areas.