A Brighton Green Party councillor, Ellen McLeay, is advocating for immediate action to address the impact of short-term holiday lets on the local rental and housing markets. At the upcoming Brighton & Hove City Council meeting on Thursday, McLeay plans to introduce a motion aimed at controlling these rentals.
The motion is expected to receive support from fellow Green councillor Chloe Goldsmith, who will second it. Goldsmith emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating, “I understand that this is just one of many problems with the housing market in our city, but it’s one which we need to tackle as soon as possible.” She further stressed the need for the council to initiate preliminary work to implement these regulations swiftly.
McLeay’s proposal includes commissioning a report on how the council can leverage its planning powers to regulate short-term holiday lets. She advocates for the use of an Article 4 Direction, a tool that provides additional planning controls, similar to the measures used to curb the proliferation of shared houses in the area.
The councillor seeks to present this report to both the council’s cabinet and the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The report would outline specific areas in Brighton and Hove where stricter regulations could be applied, along with enforcement measures for those who fail to obtain the necessary permissions for short-term lets.
Moreover, the Local Democracy Reporting Service indicates that McLeay intends to request that council leader Bella Sankey write to the government. The letter would urge for granting councils the authority to regulate short-term lets effectively and to close any existing regulatory loopholes.
This push for tighter control on holiday lets comes as part of a broader effort to address housing issues in Brighton, aiming to balance the needs of residents with those of the tourism industry.