Second Home and Short-term Let Planning Measures Agreed
The Welsh Government has agreed the planning element of measures to tackle the issue of second homes and short-term lets in the country with the introduction of three new use classes.
These will give local planning authorities the ability, where they have evidence, to make local amendments to the planning system through an article 4 direction, allowing them to consider whether planning permission is required to change from one use class to another and to control the number of additional second homes and short-term lets in an area.
These changes to planning legislation were the subject of consultation over the past 12 months. The use classes order is being amended to create new use classes for ‘dwellinghouses, used as sole or main residences’ (class C3), ‘dwellinghouses, used otherwise than as sole or main residences’ (class C5) and ‘short-term lets’ (class C6).
In addition, the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO) is being amended to allow permitted changes between the new use classes, C3, C5 and C6. These permitted development rights can be dis-applied within a specific area by an article 4 direction made by a local planning authority on the basis of robust local evidence.