Durham County Council cabinet members backed plans to increase the coverage of Article 4 Directions for Homes in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) beyond Durham City and its surrounding areas to cover the whole county.

It means all new HMOs, regardless of size, will require planning permission from August 2026. 

Currently, houses can be converted into small HMOs—accommodating between three and six residents—without planning permission. Only properties housing more than six residents require planning consent under existing rules.

The move comes after residents warned that the increase in HMOs is negatively impacting the character of communities. 

Nicola Lyons, cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: “The policy will benefit both existing residents and future occupiers by protecting residential amenity and ensuring appropriate standards of accommodation.”

The number of HMOs across County Durham communities has steadily increased in recent years after predominantly being utilised for student homes in and around Durham city. 

Durham County Council said the shared housing can be an affordable option for residents, but can harm community cohesion by introducing transient residents and the loss of family housing. 

“An over-concentration within a locality can have a negative impact on the residential amenities and change the overall character of an area,” said Councillor Cathy Hunt. 

Other negative impacts include the loss of family housing and community cohesion due to the presence of a more transient population.

The cabinet member for children and young people’s services added: “It’s important we use our planning powers to maintain mixed and balanced communities and drive up standards of accommodation.”

A planning policy is also being developed to ensure clear guidance when determining HMO applications. 

Interim changes detail how applications should not lead to three or more of the 10 nearest properties being HMOs. It should also not result in the ‘sandwiching’ of a residential property between two HMO properties or an HMO and a property that is not a home.

The policy also sets detailed requirements to ensure the HMO accommodation is of a high standard for those living there and that the living conditions of neighbouring residents are protected.

A public consultation on the interim HMO policy will be held from March 25 to May 5, where residents can give their views.

A gardening expert advised on which flowers you must plant now in spring, with a focus on one that come into bloom in summer and can last for months as cut flowers

As the weather brightens up and we’re heading into spring, you may fancy donning your gardening gloves and reviving your outdoor area. Gardening guru Ish, who goes by @gardening.with.ish online, could have the perfect recommendation for you.

Describing the blooms as “tall, hardy, and low-maintenance,” Ish suggested planting Nigellas at this time of year. “Not only do these work as amazing pollinators, but they will grow in time for wedding bouquets or flower arrangements,” he said enthusiastically in his caption.

Ish also emphasised that “Nigellas can offer bursts of purple flowers all throughout the summer,” enhancing their visual charm and why they’re perfect for beginners.

These plants can be “sown directly in the soil,” or if you’re short on space, you can “start them off in a tray” instead.

He noted that Nigellas flower from “June all the way to September,” and also “last for about 10 days in a vase, so if you’re keen to get some fresh looking flowers, these might work for you”.

Ish revealed his preference for beginning them in a tray before moving them outdoors because it’s “very easy to thin them out”.

He intended to “lightly sprinkle in the seeds,” followed by a “covering and a good water”.

Though Ish warned they must be “about 30cm apart” as they can “really bush out quite a bit”. Beginning them in a tray enables him to “spread them out” when relocating them into the ground.

After sowing the seeds in the tray, he applied a “light dusting of compost over the top” without compacting it, reassuring viewers it would “soon take care of itself”.

He recommended using the seed packet “as a makeshift label” to monitor what’s growing in each section.

Ish explained that when transplanting your Nigellas outside, they flourish in and love “well-drained soil” and enjoy “plenty of sun”. He emphasised they need approximately 20 to 30cm of space to “bush out”.

“When they start to flower, take care of dead-heading as well because the more you take care of it, you’ll actually grow more flowers,” he advised.

Additionally, the plant will “continue providing them [flowers]” regularly until the end of August.

Are you planning on adding Nigellas to your garden, or have you already started? Drop us a comment below…

A total of 389 businesses across sectors including retail, social care and hospitality were found to have underpaid staff – and have now been ordered to repay workers.

They have also been hit with £12.6 million in fines.

The latest enforcement action, published by the UK Government, is part of a renewed push to crack down on employers who underpay staff.

Officials say:

• Workers were paid less than they were legally entitled to
• Employers must now repay wages in full
• Financial penalties have also been issued

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said it was unfair for companies to gain an advantage by breaking the rules.

This is the first “naming round” since ministers pledged to publish offending employers more regularly.

It also comes just weeks before a new enforcement body – the Fair Work Agency – launches to strengthen workers’ rights.

Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said: “Nobody should finish a week’s work and find they’ve been paid less than they’ve earned.”

Gov.uk has information on who is entitled to the minimum wage.

You can use the minimum wage calculator to check whether the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is being paid.

Contact Acas if you’re not getting the National Minimum Wage and think you should be.

Recommended reading:

Minimum Wage is rising again next month

The announcement comes ahead of a minimum wage increase from April 2026, following recommendations from the Low Pay Commission.

New rates will be:

• £12.71 per hour for those aged 21+
• £10.85 for 18–20-year-olds
• £8.00 for under-18s and apprentices

The rise means a full-time worker on the National Living Wage could earn around £977 more per year.

Steven Gerrard says he ‘wishes’ Liverpool had signed Declan Rice ahead of Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side won the race to sign Rice in the summer of 2023 with the midfielder joining from West Ham in a £105 million deal.

Liverpool, meanwhile, were about to embark on their final season under Jurgen Klopp, who left Anfield the following summer.

Rice has established himself as a key figure in Arsenal’s midfield and is on track for a successful campaign as the Gunners are still in all four competitions.

The England international scored a superb goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and former Liverpool captain Gerrard feels the 27-year-old has now cemented his place as one of the world’s elite midfielders.

‘He’s going from strength to strength,’ Gerrard told TNT Sports.

‘I think he’s one of the best in the world. I think he has become one of the best in the world.

‘It was a fantastic move for him. I wish we [Liverpool] signed him here, actually.

‘West Ham did a great job under David Moyes, I think David Moyes has really schooled him in how to play the position tactically.

‘His confidence from playing well for England and being around that group of players, he’s just gone to the next level now at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.

‘Fantastic coaching from him and he’s up there now in the shout to be one of the world’s best in that position and in that role.’

Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman added: ‘I think when you think of his role and you look around Europe, you have Pedri who is beautiful, Vitinha is great, but he way he [Rice] plays I’d certainly say he’s the best because he’s a different type of player to them.

‘But he’s so effective, last year he was amazing and he’s stepped up again this year.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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MORE: Mohamed Salah injury update after Liverpool beat Galatasaray in Champions League

If you’re struggling with the latest Strands puzzle, then you’ve come to the right place.

Strands is a daily word game available from the site that brought you Wordle and Connections.

Each day there’s a different theme, and the aim is to find all of the words connected to the theme contained within a grid of letters.

The theme words cover the entire board, and none overlap. Likewise, there’s also a spangram that stretches from one side of the board to the other. The spangram describes the board’s theme. Get it early and you should have an easier time finding the words in the grid.

Keep on reading for the latest set of hints for the March 19 Strands, which is titled ‘Bring a Plate’.

And don’t worry, because we won’t reveal the answers, or give you the full list of letters from each word.

SPANGRAM HINTS

Today’s Spangram is made up of 7 letters.

It begins with the letter ‘P’

It’s a popular saying that is believed to date back to the 16th Century.

THEME WORD HINTS

Here are the first two letters for each theme word in the March 19 Strands puzzle.

1. AP

2. BE

3. CA

4. DE

5. VE

That game is followed by an international break, with Liverpool then travelling to Manchester City in a blockbuster FA Cup quarter-final tie in early April ahead of their latest two-legged meeting with PSG, the winners of which will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the last four of the Champions League.

The joint US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the father of Mojtaba, at the beginning of the conflict

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Iran’s new supreme leader has issued a statement after some believed he may have died or sustained serious injuries.

In his statement, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a warning to Washington and paid tribute to top security official Ali Larijani who died in strikes on Iran days earlier. It was believed that Mojtaba himself had been killed.

“It is with great sorrow that I received the painful news of the martyrdom of Mr. Dr. Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and the Leader’s representative on that council, as well as his distinguished son and some of his colleagues,” Mojtaba said in a statement on Wednesday, March 18.

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Iran has been in conflict with the United States and Israel since February 28. The US and Israel carried out joint strikes on key sites in Iran and killed Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the father of Mojtaba, at the beginning of the conflict. Iran responded by attacking targets across the Middle East, plunging the region into war.

Mojtaba went on to describe the security official as “a learned, far-sighted, intelligent, and committed individual with diverse experiences in various political, military, security, cultural, and managerial arenas.”

“The enemies of Islam should know that shedding this blood only makes the mighty tree of the Islamic system stronger, and of course, every drop of blood has its price, which the murderous killers of these martyrs will soon have to pay,” he added, reports the Express.

This is the second time Mojtaba has released a statement in recent days after reports surfaced that he had lost a leg and was in a coma.

He did not feature on camera on this occasion. It’s highly probable that Khamenei is concealed at an undisclosed location to avoid assassination attempts.

Mojtaba has been regarded as an even more stringent hard-liner than his father. The possibility of him becoming the next supreme leader was seen as a potential regression to Iran’s former hereditary monarchy but with a religious dimension.

The younger Khamenei took on the position of supreme leader with his military at war but also with reserves of highly enriched uranium that could be utilised to build a nuclear weapon.

‘We are against any discrimination in any form’

Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh has said that labelling the group as antisemitic means people “water that term down”.

The group were interviewed by the Big Issue after it was ruled the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, will not face a terror trial after being accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah at a gig.

O hAnnaidh told the magazine: “When you start labelling bands and people who speak out against Israel as antisemitic, what you do is water that term down. We are not antisemitic.”

O hAnnaidh also said it was “impossible” to remember everything that happens during a performance.

“When you’re playing a gig it’s impossible to be perfectly conscious all the time. I don’t remember all – and that’s not just from drink, that’s pure adrenaline,” he told the Big Issue.

Band member Moglai Bap said the group is “from the north of Ireland”.

“We know about f****** religious conflicts, people using religion as a way to murder, maim and all this stuff,” he added.

“We are against any discrimination in any form.”

The alleged offence was said to have taken place at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21 2024.

But the case was thrown out in September last year, with chief magistrate Paul Goldspring ruling the proceedings were “instituted unlawfully”.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) appealed against the decision at the High Court at a hearing in January, with the rapper opposing the challenge.

In a judgment last week, two judges at the High Court upheld the decision and dismissed the CPS appeal.

The full interview can be read in Monday’s Big Issue, on sale from street vendors and online via bigissue.com.

Graffiti artist 10Foot has created new artwork, which will feature on the cover of the magazine.

He has also contributed an exclusive print, which will come free with each magazine sold.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our politics newsletter here.

It can help breakdown grease and keeps sinks looking shiny

Cleaning the kitchen sink can be an annoying chore, as it doesn’t last long until it needs a good scrub again. However, I have found a hack that costs just 70p and keeps my sink looking clean and smelling fresh.

I like to keep on top of cleaning my sink, especially as I don’t have a dishwasher. Some products on the market can get expensive, so I decided to test how well the humble washing-up liquid could work as a sink cleaner.

To my surprise, it worked better than other disinfectant products I had used in the past. It helped bring a shine back to my sink and provided a fresh lemon scent.

I find it works best to clean the sink with washing-up liquid regularly. All you need is a bottle of washing-up liquid and a sponge.

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I use Sainsbury’s own washing-up liquid, which is priced at 70p. Then, clear the sink before squirting a generous amount of washing-up liquid over the whole area.

I wet my sponge with warm water and scrub the areas I covered with washing-up liquid. It soon starts to fluff up, making the sink look shiny again.

Once I have scrubbed the whole area, including the tap, I rinse my sponge with warm water and wipe over the sink. You can leave it to air dry or use a dry cloth.

Plus, washing-up liquid can help prevent clogs in the drain. When cleaning my sink with washing up liquid, I squirt a generous amount down the plug hole.

I let it sit for around 15 to 20 minutes before flushing with hot water, as this can help break down any grease.

I haven’t had any blocked drains since trying out the hack, as I remember to do it when cleaning the sink, so it’s become a regular task.

If you have stubborn sink stains and want a deep clean, you can still use washing-up liquid, but add baking soda as well. This enhances the cleaning power, helping remove stains.

For limescale, you can add white vinegar or lemon juice. These can lift soap scum or limescale build-up on taps and sinks.