Dozens turn out at town hall in HMO protest

Dozens of people protested over the ‘proliferation’ of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) and random evictions - known as Section 21s - across Wigan at a council meeting. Although there was a counter-protest organised by Wigan Trades Union Council, outside the Town Hall on Wednesday night, fears of public disorder did not materialise and police kept a low-key presence.

The campaign against HMOs is being led by Ince’s Independent councillor Maureen O’Bern who at last night’s full council meeting posed the question: “What action is the council going to take around Section 21 evictions and the increase in out-of-town developers buying properties in Wigan, and converting them to HMOs to the detriment of local people?”

There was no verbal response from the portfolio holder for housing and welfare Coun Susan Gambles, but she promised to write to Coun O’Bern with a response. Recently, Coun O’Bern was at the forefront of a protest where 300 people turned up outside the former Crispin Arms pub on Birkett Bank in the Scholes area of the town to object to plans to transform it into a 15-bedroom residence.

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She has claimed Wigan has reached ‘saturation point’ with HMOs and argues that they are a source of crime and anti-social behaviour, whilst also denying that there is a racist motivation for the objections. However, secretary of Wigan Trades Union Council David Lowe, who attended the counter-demonstration, said: “We as trade unionists and councillors need to call these people (the protesters) out for what they are - political opportunists who prey on the insecurity and fears of a large number of people in