New Strathspey group forms to fight against the tide of party houses
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Much more must be done by the powers-that-be to tackle the nuisance being caused by the ‘explosion’ in party houses in the strath, a new group has claimed.
Fed-up Boat of Garten-based organisers have set up Highlands Against Party House Invasion (HAPHI) ‘to fight back against the tide’.
The group has been modelled on Protecting Liveable, Affordable Communities in Edinburgh, which they say has already achieved a lot in tackling illegal short-term flat rentals in the capital.
HAPHI has said disturbances being caused at party houses are making life a misery for a large number of local residents and the problem is escalating.
The group believes legislation being progressed by the Scottish Government will not have any clout for several years and even then may prove ineffective to combat noise and other nuisances at holiday lets.
HAPHI spokesman Martin Johnson said: “More and more people now realise the Highlands will not be well served by the proposed new regulations for short-term letting.
“Sadly, Highland Council and the Cairngorms National Park Authority are unwilling to use existing powers to control party houses.
“Meanwhile, low interest rates encourage investors to purchase property in the Highlands for conversion to party houses.
“The party houses take business away from guest houses, eroding local jobs and the profit from party houses then goes to landlords outwith the region.
“All we are left with is antisocial behaviour and nuisance, low-paid cleaning and maintenance jobs, and higher property prices – a perfect storm for local people.”
HAPHI member Louise Beesley said: “It seems to be hard to express these concerns – there does not seem to be the forum. I know people who live near to party houses have had a terrible time.
“One of the difficulties appears to be the hot tubs. If you are using a hot tub it apparently means you have to scream a lot.”
HAPHI’s aims include:
* Sharing information on how to complain effectively to property owners and ensuring incidents are reported to the council and police.
* Collecting information on properties creating nuisance.
* Providing a forum for mutual support.
* Pressurising the council and CNPA to apply existing rules.
* Lobbying the Scottish Government to take action to protect residents’ rights to peaceful and private homes.
HAPHI said that in the past three years there has been a 300 per cent increase in Highland short term rental properties (AirBnB data) of which roughly two-thirds are whole house rentals.
A group spokesperson said: "That is 4000 new whole house rentals in Highland Council area alone, not including those rented on other platforms.
"That is roughly equivalent to Aviemore being lost twice over from the housing stock in just three years.
"So there is every chance that a second Highland Clearance to make room for a massive holiday camp will be achieved by further delay and obfuscation."
Subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament, the Licensing of Short-term Lets Order 2021 and The Town and Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 will come into force on April 1.
The former will require local councils to set up a licensing scheme for all short term letting businesses in their area while the latter allows councils to designate areas in which planning permission would be a compulsory requirement for short term lets.
But HAPHI has said the licensing scheme is concerned with ensuring rental properties are safe for visitors and provides no consideration at all of noise, light and other issues for surrounding properties.
The group has said Control Areas will not happen quickly – perhaps 2025 – and fail to tackle the current boom in party houses.
They also believe ‘the complex and drawn out nature’ of the proposed measures will not address localised problems.
Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes said she recognises party houses can be a source of frustration for local residents: “We absolutely need a thriving economy, and in the Highlands, tourism plays a key role. However, that has got to be balanced with the needs of the local population.
“I agree there are a lot of powers right now for enforcing antisocial behaviour. Between the police and Highland Council, there are ways of reporting and then enforcing the law.”
Gavin Miles, the CNPA’s head of planning and communities, said the planning system does not currently control whether houses are lived in or used for holiday letting purposes.
He said: "It provides more control over the use of flats which means that a change of use is required to change between residential use and short term letting use. This is the control that Edinburgh City Council have used to manage short term letting of flats in the capital.
"The Scottish Government has proposed other changes to the planning system that, if approved by the Scottish Parliament, would allow local authorities to identify areas where planning permission would be required to change the use of a house to a property that is let for short term periods such as holiday letting.
"The CNPA will be working with Highland Council to explore the use of these controls in future.”
A council spokesperson said: “We are aware that under the forthgoing regulations that changes are proposed with reference to short term lets and there is provision for the introduction of control orders where deemed appropriate.
"We will continue to assess developments under the relevant regulatory processes.
“Short-term letting of residential property does not currently require planning permission. Only where there is an intensification of use, beyond what would reasonably be expected to occur within a house, would planning permission be required.
"The council has and will continue to bring these under control when a breach of planning control occurs.
"The council does receive applications from time to time for houses that are for use as holiday accommodation, including some that are large houses that may be let by multiple individuals and/or several families.
"Our assessment of these applications will take into consideration the likely impacts on the amenity of neighbouring residents.
“The Town and Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 introduces an ability for councils to implement Areas of Planning Control which, if implemented, will in effect mean that all houses including B&Bs operating as a house – would require planning permission for change of use.
"This would mean that within these areas there would be greater control not only on amenity aspects but also the local housing market."
The council said anyone who suspects that there may be a breach of planning control can bring this to there attention here .
Organisers of HAPHI can be contacted by email at haphihighland@aol.com .
