CYNGOR Gwynedd’s Cabinet has accepted a recommendation that Article 4 Direction should be implemented to control the use of houses as second homes and holiday accommodation.
This innovative step would enable the Council as the Gwynedd Local Planning Authority to require property owners to obtain planning permission before changing the use of a main home into a second home or short-term holiday accommodation. The change will come into effect from 1 September 2024.
The Council held a public engagement period on the introduction of the Article 4 Direction during August and September 2023, and all comments submitted have received careful consideration. The comments and the Council’s response were taken into account at a meeting of the Council’s Communities Scrutiny Committee in May, where members supported the work that has been carried out on the process and a recommendation was made for the Cabinet to confirm the Article 4 Direction.
Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Cyngor Gwynedd wants to ensure that local people able to access suitable and affordable housing locally – that is key to securing the future of our communities.
“Unfortunately, research shows that a significant proportion of people in Gwynedd are priced out of the housing market and that is more evident in communities with higher numbers of holiday homes.
“It is therefore inevitable that the significant number of houses being used as second homes and short-term holiday accommodation is affecting the ability of the people of Gwynedd to access homes in their communities.
“By introducing an Article 4 Direction, the Council will have a new tool to try to control the impact of second homes and holiday accommodation. The change will require owners to submit a planning application for changing the use of residential properties into second homes or short-term holiday accommodation.
“Following this decision, Gwynedd will become the first Planning Authority to use these new planning powers introduced by the Government.
“Detailed work has been carried out over the past year to set out the case for the change to be made and we are very grateful to everyone who took part during the public engagement period.”
The change will not apply to properties already established as second homes or short-term holiday accommodation before the Article 4 Direction comes into force.
For more information on Article 4 Direction in the Gwynedd Planning Authority Area, visit: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/Article4
Following the Cabinet’s decision, the Article 4 Direction will come into effect from 1 September 2024, within the Gwynedd Local Planning Authority area alone. This decision does not apply to the parts of Gwynedd which fall within the Eryri National Park Planning Area.
The Welsh Government has brought groundbreaking changes to the planning framework, giving local authorities power to manage future numbers of second homes and short-term holiday lets.
Changes to the national planning framework have seen the introduction of three new classes of use, namely: main home, second home and short-term accommodation. Each local planning authority has the power to decide whether planning permission is required to change from one use class to another by removing permitted development rights. The introduction of an Article 4 Direction allows the removal of these rights. Cyngor Gwynedd will be responsible for implementation.
The Welsh Government is providing financial support for the Dwyfor area so that lessons learned from the pilot area can be shared across the country.
The purpose of the Article 4 Direction is to revoke the right to change of use without planning consent, for the following use:
- Change of use of a main residence (use class C3) into a second home (use class C5) or short-term holiday let (use class C6) and specific mixed uses;
- Change of use of a second home (use class C5) to a short-term holiday let (use class C6) and specific mixed uses;
- Change of use from a short-term holiday let (use class C6) to a second home (use class C5) and specific mixed uses.
