July 05, 2022 - 1570 views
Following yesterday's announcement from Welsh Government about actions to tackle an explosion in second homes and holiday accomodation, tourism leaders and local politicians have quickly come forward to question to validity of the plans.
The package of measures announced yesterday included changes to planning regulations by the end of the summer.
These will introduce three new planning use classes – a primary home, a second home and short-term holiday accommodation. Local planning authorities, where they have evidence, will be able to make amendments to the planning system to require planning permission for change of use from one class to another.
Changes to national planning policy will also be introduced to give local authorities the ability to control the number of second homes and holiday lets in any community. Concerns over affordable local housing is one very sensitive issue that has been discussed.
Plans were also outlined to introduce a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation, including short-term holiday lets, making it a requirement to obtain a license. Welsh Government claim this will help raise standards across the tourism industry.
Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said: "We are under no illusion that there are issues with the lack of homes for local people in our communities. The simplest answer is for the councils to build more, ring fenced for local people, using their huge reserves to kickstart a housing revolution.
"But targeting Welsh business people in their policies is totally counter-productive. People have invested and built their hospitality businesses up for years and years. I am already seeing a number of self-catering accommodation owners selling up to people who will definitely not be running a business from them.
"I am also disappointed that Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru have completely ignored the Welsh Tourism Alliance's and partners report that was put together by thousands of business people within the hospitality sector, highlighting what they should be doing to support the issue not making matters worse."
Commenting on the announcement, Janet Finch Saunder MS for Aberconwy said: “To put it short – this Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru plan is not going to, as the First Minister claims, ensure everyone has the opportunity to afford to live in their local community.
“It’s not a cap on the number of second homes and holiday lets, new planning use classes, statutory licencing scheme, nor varying land transaction tax, that is going to address the housing crisis.
“They are simply more bureaucracy for the sake of providing a false façade that action is being taken to provide homes for locals.
“If the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru genuinely wish to tackle the housing crisis they should pursue my policies:
- Addressing affordability by building more homes, with an emphasis on generating mixed communities and developing on the edge of crisis communities;
- Removing the block on as many as 10,000 new homes (including 1,700 affordable) due to NRW guidance on phosphorus;
- Working with our local authorities to better promote the Empty Home Loan;
- Reviewing what steps can be taken to convert empty space above retail units into affordable, centrally located housing;
- Amending TAN 6 to allow for children of farmers who live at home but work elsewhere to more easily gain planning permission to build homes on family land;
- And restoring the Right-to-Buy in Wales: building housing for locals on the edge of communities and reinvesting sale proceeds into more social housing and protecting homes from sale for 10 years”.
