Council

Agenda Item 28 

Subject:                    Tackling Short Term Lets

Date of meeting:    11 July 2024

Ward(s) affected:   All

Notice of Motion

Labour Group Amendment

That deletions are made as shown with strikethrough below and additional recommendations are added as shown in bold italics below:

This council notes:

1. The high cost of rent and low availability of housing in the city, which reflects a market in which power is unfairly weighted towards landlords;

2. The negative impact which the high number of unregulated short-term let properties are having on housing availability for the local community;

3. The previous Government’s promise to provide Councils with the planning powers to regulate short-term lets, which did not materialise ahead of the dissolution of Parliament.

3)The Cabinet Member for Housing and New Homes has written to the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, requesting the Government:

a. Introduce a statutory licencing scheme for all STLs which requires safety standard compliance

b. Amend planning regulations to introduce a new class for STLs

c. Amend National planning policy to provide devolved powers to local authorities to control the number of permitted licences granted in areas of pressure

Therefore, Council resolves to:

1) Request that a report on the saturation of short-term lets within the city and prepare an options paper of policy recommendations for Cabinet which will mitigate their impact on our communitiesfrom the Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration be brought to an upcoming Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting, alongside outlining what the Council can do to prepare for planning powers to control short term lets becoming available so an Article 4 Direction (A4D) can be implementedat the earliest opportunity. Suggested areas the report may cover include:

a. identifying suitable area(s) within the city that the A4D should apply to;

b. beginning to collate the evidence needed to show why the A4D is necessary for these areas, including the required public consultation;

c. outlining how the Council can effectively enforce the A4D, should people not seek the proper permission for short-term lets.

d. outlining how the Council can work with the tourism industry to promote sustainable visitor accommodation provision, including via the Greater Brighton Economic Board.

e. exploring avenues that could support the adoption of a registration scheme for short-term rental provision, as is set out in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

2) Request that the Leader of the Council write to the new Secretary of State for Local Government, calling on them to:

a. make these powers available to Councils at the earliest opportunity;

b. ensure that loopholes already-identified, such as the 12-month amnesty period, are closed to make sure the legislation can be truly effective.

Proposed by: Cllr Williams             Seconded by: Cllr Mackey

Recommendations to read if carried:

This council notes:

1. The high cost of rent and low availability of housing in the city, which reflects a market in which power is unfairly weighted towards landlords.

2. The negative impact which the high number of unregulated short-term let properties are having on housing availability for the local community.

3. The Cabinet Member for Housing and New Homes has written to the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, requesting the Government:

a. Introduce a statutory licencing scheme for all STLs which requires safety standard compliance

b. Amend planning regulations to introduce a new class for STLs

c. Amend National planning policy to provide devolved powers to local authorities to control the number of permitted licences granted in areas of pressure

Therefore, Council resolves to:

1.         Request a report report on the saturation of short-term lets within the city and prepare an options paper of policy recommendations for Cabinet which will mitigate their impact on our communities alongside outlining what the Council can do to prepare for planning powers so an Article 4 Direction (A4D) can be implemented. Suggested areas the report may cover include: Suggested areas the report may cover include:

a. identifying suitable area(s) within the city that the A4D should apply to;

b. beginning to collate the evidence needed to show why the A4D is necessary for these areas, including the required public consultation;

c. outlining how the Council can effectively enforce the A4D, should people not seek the proper permission for short-term lets.

d. outlining how the Council can work with the tourism industry to promote sustainable visitor accommodation provision, including via the Greater Brighton Economic Board.

e. exploring avenues that could support the adoption of a registration scheme for short-term rental provision, as is set out in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.