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Highland Council to debate twin moves for region-wide controls on short term lets amid serious concerns that just four licences were refused while more than 7000 were granted





Highland Council refused just four short term let licences but granted more than 7000.
Highland Council refused just four short term let licences but granted more than 7000.

Highland Council has refused just four short term let licences as it granted more than 7000 as serious concerns about lack of control spark twin calls for action involving Labour, Highland Alliance, and Greens.

At this week’s full meeting of the local authority two motions will be debated about the potential for additional measures to restrict the surge in short-term let licences across the region.

Efforts to tackle the downside of mass tourism from wear and tear on roads to the burgeoning AirBnB sector contributing to a lack of affordable housing have so far failed - but patience is wearing thin.

The first motion is from Councillor Michael Gregson (Labour), and supported by Cllr Duncan Macpherson (Highland Alliance), he said on top of the 7000 lets there are estimated “over 2,300 long-term empty homes in Highland, and 3,500 second homes”.

Cllr Macpherson was recently booted from a licensing committee after thin-skinned council officials feared they were being criticised and disrespected after he branded the system “toothless”.

Cllr Gregson said: “This exacerbates the housing emergency. Highland Council figures suggest that over 24,000 new homes are needed in the next 10 years.”

So he wants the council to recognise that the “limited regulation” of short-term lets “is part of the problem and is removing too much accommodation from the market.”

In doing that, he wants the council to agree to:

• Ask the Scottish Government to revisit the legislation so that the council is can refuse short term let applications on ‘overprovision’ grounds

• Failing that, go back to the government to allow it to have establish a control area, such as happened in Badenoch and Strathspey.

The second is from the Greens and is led by Cllr Chris Ballance, Cllr Kate Willis and Ryan Mackintosh – and supported by Cllr Gregson.

In it they call for officers to bring forward a paper to the September full council “outlining the process for implementing short term let control areas” that give options for introducing them either on a Highland-wide basis or by ward/area.

This would be dependent on the support of a majority of members in the ward/area and it should include the minimum timescales for implementation.

Both motions will be heard on Thursday June 26.


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