Council refuses to act on unlawful short term lets

SNP, Labour and Tory councillors in Edinburgh have rejected Scottish Greens calls to investigate and act on unlawful short term lets highlighted by a report by Lothians MSP Andy Wightman.

In July, Scottish Greens housing spokesperson Andy Wightman’s Homes First survey revealed just one property out of the 477 surveyed had the appropriate planning consents, suggesting 99.8% of commercial short term lets in the capital could be operating unlawfully.

Green councillors brought an amendment to the council’s Planning Committee which would have compelled the council to investigate the unlawful cases highlighted by Andy Wightman, but this was rejected by SNP, Labour and Tory councillors.

Cllr Chas Booth, Edinburgh Greens spokesperson on Planning, said: “This is a deeply disappointing decision from Edinburgh’s Planning Committee, to effectively ignore Andy Wightman MSP’s detailed Homes First report on short term lets.

“Unregulated holiday flats can make life misery for neighbours, and are a cause of skyrocketing rents in the capital.

“On the day the Edinburgh Poverty Commission warned that high housing costs are forcing people into poverty, it is completely unacceptable for the SNP, Labour and Tories to combine to do nothing to respond to Andy’s report. (see previous post – Ed.)”

Andy Wightman MSP said: “The Scottish Government’s action on regulating short term lets is welcome and long overdue, but there is no reason for the City of Edinburgh Council to wait for this before enforcing existing rules when it comes to planning consent in response to my report.

“If owners are so willing to flout planning laws and councils are unwilling to enforce them, any new licencing powers are at risk of being undermined before they even come to pass.”