Unquesitonable need for housing reform in Capital - Angus Robertson

Lord Braid

In Edinburgh changes to the new short-term let rules are still going ahead. Those wishing to let their homes out should register with the council by October 1, despite the as-yet unclear consequences of the judicial review.

We should be careful not to let the iterative process of the legislation coming into force make us lose sight of the real issue.

There is an unquestionable need for reform in the way housing is supplied on a short- and long-term basis in the city. There is nothing inherently wrong about short-term lets but, in certain situations, they can be disruptive, damaging to building fabric, contribute to soaring house prices and change the community feel of buildings and areas of the city.

It is clear that this is the case in much of Edinburgh, and we need reform to create a more sustainable housing and tourism environment in the city.

But we must take a balanced approach, and I recognise the points made by Lord Braid in his judicial review last month.

We will still need short-term lets and should be hesitant to issue blanket refusals for certain types of housing. It is possible that the best route would be for planning authorities to use good judgement via clear criteria on granting permission or not.

We should not be shy to ask for specific safety and sound limiting requirements for lets but, if granting a license seems reasonable, we should not make implementing requirements prohibitively expensive. But, again, we do need reform and we should continue the process to make our city more liveable for all.