Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
In light of
the need to obtain better control of houses being taken out of the supply
available for local people, and thus benefit local residents first, the
research was approved for submission to Welsh Government and that we should:
a)
Call
on the Government urgently to emulate what is happening in Scotland and amend
the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order to include an additional use
class for short-term holiday accommodation. This in turn would allow
authorities to identify 'management areas' where it would be required to obtain
planning consent in order to change a residential house to be used as
short-term holiday accommodation within a specified 'management area'.
b)
In
order to assist to maintain control, a call should also be made for a mandatory
licensing plan for short-term holiday accommodation where the local authority
would be responsible for its implementation.
c)
Whilst
the above would assist the Council to obtain better control of housing being
used for holiday purposes, it would not be possible to avoid/control houses
from being converted into second homes (excluding those let
occasionally/permanently). In order to ensure that the Council has the
financial means to assist to compensate for the shortcomings in the supply that
this would cause, that we call on the Government to change its stance and to
act urgently to change the Local Government Finance Act so that any dwelling
house that is not the main or sole residence for an individual (whether a
second home or a house used for short-term holiday accommodation purposes), is
defined as a dwelling house for tax purposes (and thus has to pay any Council
Tax premium determined locally). Any short-term holiday accommodation that has
received purposeful planning consent for that use would continue to be eligible
to pay Non-domestic Business Rates.
d)
To
delegate the power to the Head of Environment Department, in consultation with
the Cabinet Member, to consider how the research can be used in the context of
the local planning policy framework.
Publication date: 15/12/2020
Date of decision: 15/12/2020
Decided at meeting: 15/12/2020 - The Cabinet
Accompanying Documents: