Call for Highland holiday lets to need planning permission
- Published
Councillors said tourism was vital to the Highlands but there was an "over provision" of holiday lets in some areas
A council could use the planning system to control the number of homes being turned into short-term holiday lets in a part of the Cairngorms National Park.
Highland Council convener Bill Lobban said there had been a "massive increase" in short-term lets in Badenoch and Strathspey.
He said the situation had "severely affected" the local housing market.
Mr Lobban and other councillors said changing a dwelling to a short-term let should require planning permission.
This type of consent is currently not a requirement.
In a vote on Thursday, Highland councillors unanimously backed the call for a draft proposal to set up a short-term let control area in Badenoch and Strathspey.
Once drawn up, the plan would need to be approved by the Scottish government before going ahead.
Mr Lobban said tourism was important to the Highlands, but there was an "over provision" of short-term lets in some places, including Badenoch and Strathspey.
He said this made it difficult for people living and working in the area to find homes. The councillor said it was likely there were similar problems in other parts of the Highlands.
Mr Lobban told BBC Radio Scotland: "We have a big problem in Badenoch and Strathspey due to the lack of housing. Many things that used to be permanent dwellings are turning into holiday lets, and that affects the housing market quite severely."
A shortage of housing is also an issue on Skye, according to Daniel Cullen, of Iomairt an Eilein
He said a shortage of housing was a factor behind businesses in the area struggling to find staff.
Under Mr Lobban's proposal, which is supported by the area's other councillors, a change of use of a property to a holiday let would require planning consent, with local people having a right to comment on the application.
During Thursday's debate on the plan, Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Pippa Hadley told of having a note put through her home's letterbox from someone desperately trying to find a place to buy in the area.
She said: "We need change and change that is strong enough to protect our future generations and their capacity to live in the communities they've been raised within."
Skye and Raasay Calum MacLeod said people in his area would be watching with interest.
He said "radical reforms" were needed to help people who wanted to live and work in the Highlands to find "affordable and obtainable" land and housing.
'Magical place'
Daniel Cullen, of Iomairt an Eilein, a group campaigning on issues affecting young people in Skye, said action was also needed to tackle a shortage of homes on the island. Skye is also in the Highland Council region.
The Skye-born 32-year-old said he spent two years on the homeless list after returning to the isle to live and work.
He said, simply put, you cannot find a home to rent - "unless you are incredibly lucky and find some magical place nobody else has seen".
Mr Cullen said he knew of a situation where a student teacher had to stay in a caravan on a campsite until accommodation was found for them.
He said: "The reason they came here was because we needed teachers."
Mr Cullen said tourism was vital to Skye, but ways also had to be found to build more homes - including social housing - for islanders and people moving to the island.