The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has written to senior policymakers across all political parties and to key decision makers, urging them to recognise fair and proportionate regulation of self-catering as an urgent issue for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary election.
The letters set out, in clear terms, how the current regulatory environment for self-catering is increasingly unstable and inconsistent, with lawful and compliant businesses facing growing uncertainty. What was intended to be a balanced framework is, in practice, creating serious risks for businesses, local economies and community sustainability, particularly in rural, island and fragile areas where self-catering plays a vital year-round role.
In the correspondence, we highlight mounting concerns around the way planning permission and short-term let licensing are being applied by some local authorities, often in ways that go beyond the intent of national policy. Despite assurances that these regimes would be decoupled, they are increasingly being reconnected in practice, with operators facing licence refusal, non-renewal or additional planning hurdles even where no material harm has been evidenced.
The letters emphasise that this is not a marginal sector issue. Self-catering contributes around £1 billion annually to the Scottish economy and supports more than 29,000 jobs. Continued regulatory drift risks eroding business confidence, stalling investment and placing established tourism communities under unnecessary strain. Left unaddressed, this issue risks becoming a litigation problem for the next Parliament rather than a policy one.
We have therefore asked all parties to commit, as part of their election platforms, to practical and deliverable solutions. These include a clear and unequivocal decoupling of planning and licensing, stronger national guidance with defined limits on local discretion, and a review of planning policies that are currently enabling unintended and inconsistent outcomes. These asks align directly with the ASSC Manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election.
This engagement is intended to be constructive. The sector wants to comply with fair regulation and to play a positive role in vibrant communities across Scotland. What it cannot sustain is a system that is unclear, inconsistent and increasingly adversarial.
We have made clear that early political leadership and engagement can prevent further escalation and provide a much-needed reset. We have also invited parties to engage directly with the sector to shape workable solutions early in the next Parliament.