Councillor questioned over immigration remarks following housing role appointment

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A Leicestershire councillor has come under fire over past comments on immigrants and HMOs which have been argued give off the wrong impression to residents.

Concerns were raised during a scrutiny meeting debate at Melton Borough Council (MBC), when former leader Councillor Pip Allnatt (Labour) questioned why Councillor Simon Lumley (Independent) had the licensing of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) listed under his responsibilities as a new cabinet member.

Cllr Allnatt said licensing HMOs is not an executive function and argued residents could wrongly believe the portfolio gave Cllr Lumley powers to block them.

The council’s new leader, Councillor Ronan Browne (Conservative), responded that the role is not about deciding the people involved in an HMO but ensuring properties meet legal standards.

Cllr Allnatt said his concern stemmed from Cllr Lumley’s previous comments linking HMOs with immigration.

He said: “Cllr Lumley made a big piece of his statement at the annual meeting about the influx of HMOs, and that was related not to the sort of thing that you’ve mentioned, but obviously to immigration and illegal immigration at that.

“Now, the impression is being given that somehow the council can prevent that, but we can’t. There are people out there, the public, who think that this council can prevent HMOs.”

Cllr Browne rejected that suggestion, insisting nobody had claimed the council could prevent HMOs.

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In his speech at the previous council meeting, Cllr Lumley said: “We’ve got legal and illegal immigration completely out of control. HMOs coming into this town on a huge, huge scale in my ward.

“Young men that haven’t got an ID, have dropped in the English Channel and are being housed there. It’s completely wrong, unsuitable.

“All I can say is now – whoever the next leader of this council is – HMOs: we’ve got to try to freeze them. I know it’s controlled by central government, but we have to protest.”

While Cllr Lumley acknowledged that HMOs are ultimately governed by national legislation, his remarks prompted questions over whether he could seek changes to the council’s approach to HMOs now that the responsibility for HMO licensing falls within his portfolio.

In conclusion, Cllr Browne said anyone in the room was free to make their own political statements and judgments, adding that any disagreement between the former leader and the new housing boss was a personal matter.

He added: “It won’t be on my watch that people are doing anything untoward other than whatever their political beliefs are.”

The exchange marks the latest chapter in the long-running dispute between MBC’s former Labour leader and the new Conservative head.

It was the first scrutiny meeting since Labour and Independent councillors formed a shadow cabinet to hold the new leadership to account.

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