The Government has released details of new rules to give communities greater control over short-term lets in tourist hot spots, while also strengthening the tourism sector.
A consultation published today by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will propose introducing planning permission for an existing home to start to be used as a short term let – helping support local people in areas where high numbers of holiday lets are preventing them from finding affordable housing.
The new proposals come as the Department for Culture Media and Sport also launches a separate consultation on a new registration scheme for short-term lets.
The scheme aims to build a picture of how many short-term lets there are and where they are located, to help understand the impact of short-term lets on communities.
The DCMS consultation follows a call for evidence held earlier in the year, the results of which are published today and indicate broad support for a registration scheme across the sector.
St Austell and Newquay’s Member of Parliament Steve Double has been one of the leading voices calling for change in this area. Welcoming the news, he said:
“Throughout my time as Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay I have been clear that more needs to be done to help better regulate the holiday let market and give communities the power, where it is an issue, to redress the balance between holiday lets and full time residences, ensuring our towns and villages are given every assistance to be vibrant all year round communities.”
“Today’s announcements are incredibly welcome, and I thank the Government for listening to calls from myself and my Cornish MP colleagues, and acting to take these sensible and practical steps.”
“Simply put, establishing a separate planning use category for short term holiday lets will allow local authorities such as Cornwall Council to become decision-makers on how many of these types of business are in local communities, as well as giving town and parish councils, and the wider public a say in these matters through the planning process.”
“At the same time the second consultation, which I surveyed people locally on last year and found significant support for, will allow the Government to fully measure the impact that the over-saturation of holiday lets has on local communities and then be in a better position to take evidence-based action accordingly.”
“I will be encouraging St Austell and Newquay constituency residents to respond to these consultations and have their say, and I hope to see these proposals become reality as soon as possible.”
The government has listened to calls from local people in tourist hotspots that they are priced out of homes to rent or to buy and need housing that is more affordable so they can continue to work and live in the place they call home. The proposed planning changes would support sustainable communities, supporting local people and businesses and local services.
The proposed planning changes would see a planning use class created for short term lets not used as a sole or main home, alongside new permitted development rights, which will mean planning permission is not needed in areas where local authorities choose not to use these planning controls.
Both of these measures are focussed on short term lets, and therefore the planning changes and the register will not impact on hotels, hostels or B&Bs.
The register of short term lets is being introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the planning changes would be introduced through secondary legislation later in the year and would apply in England only.
This consultation proposing the introduction of a use class for short term lets and permitted development rights to provide flexibility where there are no local issues with such uses can be found here
The consultation seeking views on the design of a registration scheme for short-term let properties in England, including on its scope and how it would operate can be found here