Ahead of today’s Highland Council meeting, the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has submitted a deputation urging councillors to take an evidence-led approach when considering a proposed blanket Short-Term Let (STL) planning control area.
In the deputation, ASSC Chief Executive Fiona Campbell MBE set out the sector’s vital contribution to the Highland economy – generating almost £200 million GVA annually and supporting 6,786 local jobs, more than any other Scottish region. She warned that imposing a control area across the Highlands would be “disproportionate and damaging” – risking businesses and rural livelihoods while failing to address the root causes of housing shortages.
Highland Council’s own data shows there are almost 11,000 long-term empty or second homes in the region, far outstripping the number of STLs. Over 5,500 self-catering businesses are on Non-Domestic Rates, meaning they are recognised as part of the local economy, not the available housing stock.
“Councillors, I urge you to take an evidence-led approach. Do not scapegoat self-catering. Do not impose a control area that risks hammering a sector which sustains jobs, businesses, and communities across the Highlands. Instead, let’s focus on the real solutions: tackling long-term empty properties, addressing second homes, and accelerating housing delivery. If we damage self-catering, we will not solve the housing emergency – but we will create an economic one.”