Subject: Stop people being priced out of our city. Ban the sale of new homes as second homes.

Notice of Motion referred from Council on the 3 February 2022

Date of meeting: 24 March 2022

Ward(s) affected: All

For general release

1. SUMMARY AND POLICY CONTEXT:

1.1 To receive the following Notice of Motion which was debated at and referred from the full Council meeting held on the 3 February 2022.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS:

2.1 That the Committee responds to the motion concerning the sale of new hones as second homes either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calling for an officer report on the matter as requested, which may give consideration to a range of options.

3. CONTEXT / BACKGROND INFORMATION

3.1 The following resolution from the full council meeting held on the 3 February 2022 for the committee to consider is detailed below:

In order to stem the rise of second home ownership which is having a severely detrimental effect on housing supply and affordability, this Council:

1. Supports the implementation of a principal residency policy whereby new open-market housing planning permission will only be granted where there is a condition restricting occupancy as a Principal Residence – the purpose being to reduce the levels of second homes and enable increased primary residence and year-round community benefits;

2. Requests the Housing and Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture committees to call for a report to be submitted to meetings of each of the committees within the next six months to outline all possible policy steps that could be considered in order to implement this policy and model the impact of such an approach on both affordability and availability in the next five years;

3. Requests that this report will highlight:

· The planning policy changes required;

· Examples of Planning Authorities where such outcomes have been successfully achieved;

· Any evidence gaps or reports required to meet standards of evidence;

· A timetable for implementation for this Authority and potential mitigations required – such as a balancing policy for the development of holiday lettings.

Supporting Information:

Principal residences are defined as those occupied as the residents’ sole or main residence, where the resident spends the majority of their time when not working away from home or living abroad.

https://www.ft.com/content/2128f460-67b0-445b-a684-bf87560a081d
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19378734.families-priced-brighton-hove

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19042360.rising-rent-costs-outpacing-wages-brighton-hove/

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0001/

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19211154.one-every-37-homes-brighton-hove-empty-figures-show/

https://www.airdna.co/vacation-rental-data/app/gb/south-east/brighton-and-hove/overview

Brighton & Hove City Council

Council

6.30pm 3 February 2022

Hove Town Hall - Council Chamber

MINUTES

Present: Councillors Robins (Chair), Mears (Deputy Chair), Allcock, Appich, Atkinson, Bagaeen, Barnett, Brown, Childs, Clare, Davis, Deane, Druitt, Evans, Fishleigh, Gibson, Grimshaw, Henry, Hills, Hugh-Jones, Lloyd, Meadows, Mac Cafferty, McNair, Miller, Nemeth, Peltzer Dunn, Powell, Shanks, Simson, C Theobald, West, Wilkinson and Williams

PART ONE

77 Stop people being priced out of our city. Ban the sale of new homes as second homes.

77.1 The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Williams on behalf of the Labour Group and formally seconded by Councillor Childs.

77.2 Councillor Gibson spoke in favour of the motion and Councillor Mears questioned how the sales could be recoded properly and state that she could not support the motion.

77.3 Councillor Williams noted the comments and sought the council’s support for the motion.