Title

PLANNING

Short-term lets to need planning permission

The Government has announced new rules to give communities greater control over short-term lets in their areas.

The Government has announced new rules to give communities greater control over short-term lets in their areas.

A consultation by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities proposed introducing a requirement for planning permission to be gained for a home to be used as a short-term let.

It said this would help support local people in areas where high numbers of holiday lets are preventing them from finding affordable housing.

The new proposals come as the Department for Culture, Media & Sport launched a separate consultation on a new registration scheme for short-term lets, aimed at finding out how many there are and where they are located.

Local government secretary Michael Gove said: ‘Tourism brings many benefits to our economy but in too many communities we have seen local people pushed out of cherished towns, cities and villages by huge numbers of short-term lets.

‘I'm determined we ensure more people have access to local homes at affordable prices and that we prioritise families desperate to rent or buy a home of their own close to where they work.'

PLANNING

Experts' 'concern' over LGR decision-making

By Martin Ford | 27 February 2026

Experts have raised concerns as ministers are set to make final decisions on proposals for local government reorganisation.

PLANNING

A framework for building trust in councils

By Abdool Kara | 26 February 2026

The outcomes framework is an opportunity to drive clearer insight into public sector outcomes and shared accountability, exposing how effectively services wo...

PLANNING

Digital Health Tools: Supporting Healthier Communities at Scale

By Joseph Rham | 26 February 2026

GLL’s Joseph Rham explores how the use of digital platforms is leading to measurable improvements in community health.

PLANNING

Getting ready for the big LGR reset

By Ann McGauran | 26 February 2026

Anna Earnshaw talks to Ann McGauran about reorganisation’s biggest risk, and what central Government could do to ease the path towards unitarisation.

Popular articles by Mark Whitehead