Short-term letting ban

Sir, – I refer to your article of July 30 concerning the issue of “second homes” in Fife, and the comments by Bill Porteous.

There have long been efforts by Fife Council to force the full-time occupancy of residential properties on the pain of being automatically charged 200% of the council tax band rate.

Mr Porteous seems to want to go a stage further, and invoke constitutional changes to provide powers to local government to determine the use of private residential properties by banning short-term letting, that we already know to be a major attraction for foreign tourists, and therefore a boost to local economies.

If people choose to invest their taxed income in a property to let on a short-term basis, then what right does local government have to prevent such an arrangement? Many elderly people invest in second homes to augment their income in this era of low pensions and increasing taxes.

It is scandalous that considerations are now underway that will abrogate the basic human right to use an owned asset as the owner may wish, and to be blackmailed by local government into compliance with a scheme that simply covers up a failure to provide sufficient housing stock for residents of Fife.

The SNP also wishes to see more residents who will require housing, due to its insistence on uncontrolled immigration to Scotland, “because the Scottish economy needs them,” or so we are led to believe.

Derek Farmer. Knightsward Farm, Anstruther.