This Monday saw the announcement by Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove of new regulations and powers for councils to better control holiday lets.
The uncontrolled spread of holiday lets is a big issue in
Cornwall, and has undoubtedly contributed towards the significant housing
issues we are seeing in the Duchy, with many homes that could house local
families instead occupied for only weeks or even days per year by holiday
makers.
While tourism and hospitality are vital parts of our economy
in Mid-Cornwall, both for those who work in tourism and hospitality businesses,
and also those who supply them, there has to be a balance to this, and in
recent years some communities have experienced this tipping too far in towards
second homes and short term holiday let accommodation, meaning local people who
would otherwise live and work in these towns and villages all year round are
finding it increasingly difficult to do so.
The figures on this are stark, and in a debate in Parliament
last year, I spoke about the numbers of short-term holiday let accommodation
listings on Airbnb and the like in Cornwall (18,989) compared to long term rent
listings on Rightmove (895), clear evidence of the scale of the problem we are
facing.
Better controlling the number of holiday lets and second
homes by regulation and addressing the imbalance of holiday lets in the
communities most impacted by them has been a goal of mine for many years, and
is something I have successfully campaigned on, leading the Government to include
measures in the Levelling Up Act, which became law last year. This includes
measure such as closing the business rates loophole, which allowed some holiday
let owners to get away with paying neither domestic rates or business rates,
and also charging double council tax to second home owners, something which
Cornwall Council will be able to do from 2025.
As well as this, the Government consulted on measures to set
up a register of holiday lets, and on introducing a requirement for property owners
who want to change their properties to holiday lets to have to apply for
planning permission under change of use. On Monday the Secretary of State
confirmed that the Government will be adopting both of these proposals.
Under the reforms councils like Cornwall Council will be
given greater power to control short-term lets by making them subject to the
planning process. This will support local people in areas where high numbers of
short-term lets are preventing them from finding housing they can afford to buy
or to rent. This will apply to many of our rural and coastal communities in
Cornwall.
Meanwhile, a new mandatory national register will give local
authorities the information they need about short-term lets in their area. This
will help councils understand the extent of short-term lets in their area, the
effects on their communities, and underpin compliance with key health and
safety regulations.
It is good to see the Government now taking decisive action
to make these changes, which will allow councils to see the scale of the
problem via the mandatory register, and then better manage the number of
holiday lets in tourist areas through the planning system . This will allow
councils to have the ultimate say on the numbers of holiday lets in the
communities most affected. I look forward to seeing these changes brought in by
Cornwall Council and used for the good of Cornish communities.
As ever, if I can be of assistance on any matter, my office
is available for any constituents needing help, advice or guidance – tel: 01726
829379 or email: office@stevedouble.org.uk
