Agenda item

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director regarding a change of use from residential (Class C3) to short-term let accommodation (periods of less than 90 consecutive nights) (Class C3) (83sq.m.).

Officers advised that the application related to a second floor flat in 12 Trinity Square which was also located within a Conservation Area. It was noted that ten objections had been received from residents regarding the proposals. Officers concluded by stating that the proposals would have a detrimental impact on residential amenity and would be contrary to the City’s policies. For these reasons, the recommendation before Members was to refuse the application.

Members went on to debate the application.

A Member stated that he strongly supported the recommendation to refuse the application which was clearly in breach of a number of important policies. He went on to request why such decisions could not be delegated to Officers in the same manner that the issue of telephone kiosks had been previously.

Another Member stated that she believed that receipt of more than four objections meant that it was necessary for the application to be put to this Committee. She added that she also supported the recommendation to refuse, highlighting that there was already a purpose built block for short-term lets just to the left of 12 Trinity Square as well as plenty of hotels in this same area. The Member went on to state that the mixing of short-term lets within predominantly residential buildings caused huge problems for residents and that this had been borne out in the recent Enforcement Monitoring report considered by this Committee. A refusal on this would, in her view, send a strong message out to those considering taking similar steps in future.

With regard to delegating such decisions to Officers in future, the Deputy Chairman stated that, whilst he had some sympathy with this view, there were clear policies in place and he would prefer to adhere to these and have such decisions taken at Committee level.

The Chief Planning Officer and Development Director advised that it was not necessarily the number of objections received that would bring such an application before the Committee but the fact that Officers had limited powers to delegate refusals.

The Chair asked that Members move to a vote on the application. The Committee voted unanimously to refuse the application for the reasons set out within the report and background papers. There were no abstentions.

A Member went on to state that it seemed to be implied that the property in question was already being used for short-term lets. He questioned what powers the organisation had in relation to this. Another Member stated that holiday lets of up to 90 days were legally permitted but that this was notoriously difficult to police and monitor. The Chair reminded Members that a report on Short-Term Lets enforcement was due to come to the next meeting of this Committee.

RESOLVED – That the application be refused for the reasons set out in the schedule attached to the report.