Elected Member Briefing - Consultation on short-term let control areas

About this briefing note

Report by: David Littlejohn, Head of Planning and Development                                                                        

Date: 2 June 2023

Subject: Consultation proposed on short-term let controls areas

Responsible Officer: Ben Wilson, Planning & Housing Strategy Manager

Details

Purpose

This briefing note is to inform you about a consultation on whether controls on short-term lets should be introduced in some areas of Perthshire where there is pressure on the availability of affordable housing.

Briefing Information 

The Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee approved a consultation on whether Short-Term Let Control Areas should be introduced in some areas of Perthshire, requiring the submission of a planning application for change of use, at its meeting of May 31st 2023.

When the Council held an engagement exercise for the new Perth and Kinross Local Housing Strategy 2022-27 last year, the availability and affordability of housing was a top concern of Perth and Kinross residents. The growth of short-term lets in recent years was highlighted as a contributing factor by some communities.

Community groups in places where tourism is an important part of the economy said that a lack of affordable housing was impacting the ability of people to find suitable homes locally, particularly younger and older people. Businesses said that a lack of available housing was also affecting their ability to recruit staff or provide services in the communities where they are needed.

As a result, the Local Housing Strategy 2022-2027 included an action to understand the level of short-term lets in Perth and Kinross along with their impact on communities.

The eight-week consultation which will ask local people, businesses and community organisations what they think about the idea of Short-Term Let Control Areas in Highland and Eastern Perthshire. Evidence shows that these are the two areas in Perth and Kinross with the highest number of properties let as holiday homes.

The consultation will be available on the Council's Consultation Hub from Friday 2^nd June. It will be publicised through the local press, the Council's social media channels, email and through direct contract with stakeholders to ensure we gather as many responses as possible from interested parties.

It is important to stress that no position has been taken by the Council on Short-Term Let Control Areas and no decisions have been reached.

The feedback we receive through the consultation will allow us to consider a way forward. It would be essential that any control area policy balances the positive contribution of short-term lets to our rural economy against the reducing supply of permanent housing.

There would need to be a balance in some communities between people who rely on an income from their short-term let, and those who are concerned that more housing should be retained as homes for local people.

A control area would not operate as a complete ban on short-term lets, rather as a means of limiting planning permissions to circumstances where the loss of a home would be outweighed by the economic benefit to the local community.

We will update Elected Members following the consultation to update you on the results, and on any next steps that will be taken.