Agenda item - Update on Short Term Lets report recommendations

70.1    The item was presented by Cllr Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration, and Nicola Hurley, Head of Planning. Cllr Taylor summarised the recommendations from the last Task & Finish Group on short-term lets that were accepted and passed at Cabinet last year; he grouped them into 3 categories: lobbying, things that can be done now, and planning policy. They have been lobbying government to take action on this topic and encouraging the introduction of a licence or registration scheme that at some point will become mandatory. They are in discussions with the government who are developing an online platform for this, and the Council have made it clear that they would like to be part of shaping and testing it. The recommendations that can be implemented more immediately are the information on the website and assigning someone as the dedicated officer for this which is forthcoming. The changes to planning policy will be explored via the City Plan process, which is likely to take 30 months. They have commissioned a Visitor Accommodation Study which is ongoing and this will inform their plans.

70.2    Cllr Evans asked for clarification on the name “City Plan 2041” as it sounds like there will be no changes until 2041. Cllr Taylor explained that this is misleading and the policies will be effective from the date the City Plan is approved.

70.3    Cllr De Oliveira asked about the issues with data on the number of short-term lets in the city and what enforcement measures are being put into place now. Cllr Taylor said that the Council does enforce against improper short-term lets at the moment. Nicola Hurley added that the use of a property as a short-term let might need planning permission depending on the duration and frequency it is being used for that purpose. If it is investigated and found to be a full time short-term let then it constitutes as a change of use and needs enforcement. The government are introducing a licensing scheme which should provide more reliable data on the number of short-term lets in the city as it will be mandatory and they must be registered in order to operate.

70.4    Cllr Meadows asked about the timelines for the licence, Visitor Accommodation Study and Cabinet member oversight as everything rests on central government and could all get held up. Nicola Hurley said that they are in discussions about the named officer and it depends which department will be operating the license scheme. City Plan will come back to scrutiny once it has been developed more. The testing of the government’s licensing scheme should be late 2026 or early 2027.

70.5    Mark Strong (CVS) asked whether the Visitor Accommodation Study will say what the capacity will be for short-term lets in certain areas, and whether a specific parking permit will be introduced for short-term lets. He suggested leaving information in the property to inform visitors of public transport and parking advice. Cllr Taylor said the licensing scheme is key for this as the Council will then know exactly who is registered and who needs to be aware of this. In relation to parking, owners can use their limited supply of visitors parking permits if they wish. Mark Strong asked about hotels block booking parking spaces; Cllr Taylor said some have permission to do so but it is essentially using their visitor permit supply to do so.

70.6    Cllr Shanks said residents in her ward in the North Laines are annoyed that it’s become “Air BnB Land” and is there more the Council can do with their existing powers to visit the address and investigate. Nicola Hurley said there is information on the website that tells residents what they can do regarding short-term lets, there is an enforcement enquiry form that assigns the case to an officer who will go out and investigate. However, they are very short staffed. Cllr Taylor said that if someone thinks a property is being used as a short-term let, they can report it. At the moment this is the only way they can find out about them without the license. Cllr Evans added that funding is the issue here and that Westminster Council has a large number of enforcement officers, but it is sometimes difficult to prove how often a property is being used as a short-term let.

70.7    Cllr De Oliveira asked about safety standards and equalities assessment. Cllr Evans said if the license comes into force, a full EIA will be undertaken.

70.8    Cllr Shanks asked about the Visitor Accommodation Study. Cllr Taylor said they can put any policy they want into the City Plan but there needs to be evidence to support it. They will look into the amount and usage of visitor accommodation and whether it is having a disproportionate effect on certain areas. They need to see what’s needed for the tourist economy and local businesses as they rely on visitors for income. Nicola Hurley said they will be looking at hotels, BnBs, and short-term Lets as there is no definitive information out there. The study will help inform policies like zones etc.

70.9    RESOLVED – that the report is noted.