Labour councillor Mahym Bedekova is facing calls to resign her position but claims she has “always acted in good faith”, reports James Cracknell

Enfield Civic Centre and (inset) Mahym Bedekova

The chair of Enfield Council’s planning committee is facing calls to resign after failing to obtain prior planning permission for her house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Although Mahym Bedekova recently submitted a planning application for her property in Edmonton, she acknowledges the application is “retrospective” – meaning the HMO has been operating without permission.

In Enfield, anyone wanting to convert a property into a HMO must obtain both planning permission and a licence from the council. Cllr Bedekova did obtain a licence, in May 2023, but only submitted her planning application in November this year, and it has yet to be approved.

Since 2023, electoral register records suggest that at least five adults have been living at the property in question, including the Labour planning chair herself.

When first approached by the Dispatch about the HMO last month, Cllr Bedekova claimed she had been renting a single room in her house to “students”. However, when approached again this month, she instead said she was living with “relatives”.

The Haselbury ward councillor’s planning application also contains clear errors – including a document referring to a completely different property. In some documents the application is stated as being for a “five-person HMO”, while in others a “six-person HMO”.

Michael Rye, a Conservative planning committee member and former council leader, said: “She has to resign as chair of the planning committee. You have to set an example when you are a councillor.

“HMOs can have an impact on neighbours, who are entitled to comment on it [via the planning process]. It might be well run and cause no problems, but when you are a councillor you have to set a high standard.

“Her position is untenable.”

Cllr Bedekova was promoted from vice-chair to chair of the planning committee a year ago, after previous chair Sinan Boztas was removed from the position. This move was made after a controversy surrounding a fellow Labour councillor’s dropped kerb being approved despite health and safety warnings from officers – an approval that was later overturned.

In her statement responding to the HMO controversy, Cllr Bedekova said: “I have always acted in good faith and in accordance with my legal and ethical obligations.

“I have held a valid HMO licence for my property since 2023 and have always declared this interest appropriately through the council’s governance processes. The property is also my personal residence, I live with my adult daughter and relatives.”

Further on in her statement Cllr Bedekova seems to suggest the requirement for planning permission for HMOs in Enfield is a recent policy change – despite the requirement being in place since 2013.

Cllr Bedekova said: “When Enfield introduced the requirement for planning permission for HMOs, I instructed a professional planning agent to manage the application process on my behalf, as many residents do.

“A planning application has now been submitted, and this process is ongoing. The council has a clear mechanism for dealing with retrospective applications, which are lawful and commonly used where clarification is required.

“At all times, I have been open with council officers and have relied on professional advice to ensure compliance. Any administrative errors or inconsistencies within the application documentation are being addressed by my planning agent through the normal planning process.

“In relation to my role on the planning committee, I take my responsibilities extremely seriously.”

She added: “I will continue to co-operate fully with the planning process and will not comment further while the application is under consideration.”

In a statement, campaign group Better Homes Enfield said: “For Better Homes Enfield, this is an issue of integrity and trust in the planning system. Confidence in the planning system depends on knowing that councillors and residents are subject to the same standards.”

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