Agenda item

To submit a Senior Planning Policy Officer’s report

A presentation was given by Linda Lee highlighting the observations received during the public consultation period for this draft SPG. A table was presented that was part of the consultation report (Appendix 1) stating this comments together with a response and the Officers' recommendation.

It was noted that the observations had highlighted the need for minor amendments and two more significant amendments to the SPG namely:

·         How should an 'excess' of holiday accommodation in an area be defined? It was noted that some responses asked for a specific figure or percentage. The situation differs across the Plan’s area and therefore it is not possible to give one figure as a threshold that would be relevant to everywhere within the Plan's area. It was suggested that the best way forward would be to highlight the specific considerations to establish those circumstances when there is sufficient serviced or self-serviced holiday accommodation in an area and where adding to them would be problematic.

·          More information and guidance was required in the SPG regarding how to deal with applications for change of use of hotels to residential use. A Policy in the JLDP protected hotels, however, it was necessary to provide further information for this. It was suggested that the best way forward would be to include a new section in the SPG to explain the evidence that would have to be submitted to prove that the hotel was no longer viable.

            Support for the proposed responses was requested and the right to conduct a       public consultation regarding the two amendments described above and in       row 1 and 2 of the public consultation report.

Matters raised:

·         When dealing with planning applications for self-service holiday accommodation would all types of holiday accommodation be included, including holiday homes, in the equation to assess if there is an excess in the area?

·         There were two different opinions about the need or otherwise to try and retain hotels: (i) In the Victorian age going on holiday was very popular but due to changes in visitors' aspirations, frequency of holidays and holidays in this country, staying in a hotel was not as popular and many hotels were closing. It was difficult to think how this could be prevented; (ii) Some visitors still like to stay in good quality hotels.

Response:

·         To note the comment that there are several types of accommodation in the Plan area for visitors, - holiday homes (when their owners come to stay at different times of the year); holiday accommodation (when their owners let them to different visitors at times of the year or throughout the year); hotels; caravans and similar types of places to stay. Policy TWR 2: Holiday Accommodation, in JLDP only deals with serviced and self-serviced accommodation. Other policies exist within the Plan to control the location of types of accommodation that require planning permission, namely the policies that deal with caravans and alternative holiday accommodation, in order to avoid harm to communities. Policy TWR 2 controls the impact of approving self-serviced accommodation in communities. When a planning application is submitted to provide a new hotel or when planning permission is required to create a self-service accommodation in an existing building currently used as a dwelling, Policy TWR 2 does not allow the loss of existing housing stock to serviced and self-serviced accommodation. In the same manner, the Policy does not support a proposal situated in a mainly residential area, or causes substantial harm to the area's residential character. By requesting a business plan the aim of Policy TWR 2 is to ensure that the proposal creates a holiday accommodation business that is likely to be viable in the local market, not to promote businesses that would only be let out fairly occasionally. In terms of holiday homes the planning system has no control over these types of houses as planning permission is not required to use the house as a second home by the owner. A house used occasionally by the owner as somewhere to come on holiday is within the same Use Class, therefore, planning permission is not required. In the same manner, if people want to let their houses out as self-serviced holiday accommodation they will continue to be in a house Use Class in planning terms. The huge growth in the popularity of holiday accommodation marketing companies such as Airbnb has made it very difficult to keep track of all the self-serviced holiday accommodation locations in areas. A change in legislation is required to get to grips with the issue. i.e. change the Use Class Notice. Some authorities are now lobbying for this due to the increase in Airbnb. Both Gwynedd Council and Pembrokeshire County Council wrote to the Minister in around 2016 to draw attention to this matter.

·         Note the observations. The proposed amendment to the SPG will explain what type of evidence will have to be presented to justify the conversion of a hotel to another use.

Decision:

To accept the recommendation to support the recommendations regarding comments received on the draft consultation and to authorise the Joint Planning Policy Unit to conduct a further public consultation in relation to the two significant amendments.