Senedd mulls making planning permission a must for holiday lets
MEASURE AIMED AT EASING HOMES CRISIS AND PROTECTING THE WELSH LANGUAGE
SECOND-HOME owners or anyone planning to turn a property into an Airbnb or short term holiday let in Wales may soon need to apply for planning permission.
Welsh Government Housing Minister Julie James confirmed the Senedd will consult on changes to planning laws in a bid to dampen a housing crisis engulfing many Welsh-speaking communities.
Gwynedd Council leader Dyfrig Siencyn has welcomed the move as “a key moment in our efforts to address the Welsh housing crisis”.
The consultation will launch in January and seek views on introducing a “planning class” for short-term holiday accommodation.
The change, if implemented, would allow councils to designate problem areas where planning permission would be needed if any buyer planned to use a property as a second home or a short-term let.
Julie James also announced plans for a pilot scheme in Dwyfor, Gwynedd, to look at bringing long-term empty homes back into use.
Gwynedd Council will receive an additional £2million to fund measures, including buying and refurbishing empty homes for social rent in the area, as well as shared equity schemes.
Dwyfor, where as much as 50% of the entire housing stock is made up of holiday accommodation, will receive £1m from that pot.
If the pilot scheme is a success, it could be rolled out across other parts of Wales.
Anglesey, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire will also each receive £1m, Ms James confirmed.
She said: “We want young people to have a realistic prospect of buying or renting affordable homes in the places they have grown up,” she said.
“High numbers of second and holiday homes in one area can threaten the Welsh language in its heartlands and affect the sustainability of some rural areas.
“These are complex issues and there are no quick fixes. What may be right for one community may not work for another.”
The Welsh Government also confirmed this will form the basis of the Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan.
Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles said it was vital that Welsh-speaking communities “continue to be economically viable places for local people, especially young people, to live and work and where the Welsh language and culture can thrive”.
The draft plan includes support to create community-led social enterprises to help locals buy or rent property and help protect Welsh place names.
Describing it as “a defining moment”, Cllr Siencyn said: “For the first time, the Welsh Government has recognised it has a key role to play to ensure that current and future generations can continue to live in our coastal and rural communities as a matter of fundamental social justice.”
“Following today’s announcement, the practical discussions regarding the regulation of second homes, holiday homes and Airbnbs can begin in earnest.”
Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS Mabon ap Gwynfor welcomed these “concrete steps”.
He said: “With the political appetite, vision, strong policies, and sufficient financial resources to achieve our goals, there is still hope for a better future for Welsh communities.”