Permanent residents of flats around the Citadel in Ayr are being sacrificed on the altar of tourism despite a lack of evidence that proves it benefits the town, say campaigners.
Over the last few months Iain McKie and Lynn Carleton of the Fort, Seafield and Wallacetown Community Association have made the case against granting a swathe of short-term let licences that are concentrated in a number of apartment blocks around Ayr Harbour.
The main objections are around security and safety of permanent residents, a lack of monitoring of guests, access to common closes, anti-social behaviour, mess created by visitors and the negative impact on the amenity of the area.
The campaigners have slammed the lack of support and understanding of the vast majority of elected members.
And they argue that the claims made around tourism benefits are not based on any tangible evidence, but rather a belief that they will turn around the fortunes of a town once again dubbed the worst seaside resort in Scotland.
Mr McKie, who is a resident and has been an objector at licensing hearings, said the problem is not isolated, citing the years of protests against short-term lets throughout Scotland and internationally in cities like Barcelona.
He said: “It is a political issue. It is a failure by the local authority over years to listen to the pleas of the permanent residents of the area. Speculators are being favoured over permanent residents.
“We have been let down as permanent residents. We bought these houses in this beautiful area on the understanding that we would have peace and quiet.
“Unfortunately it has not worked out that way for some.”
Fellow resident and campaigner, Lynn Carleton, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that residents had been hopeful that the introduction of the short-term let licensing scheme would address some of the issues that they already faced before the introduction of the licensing scheme.
But she said that the decision by planners not to require a change of use planning application for the pre-existing short-term lets had been a sign that the council was not serious about dealing with the issue, despite years of complaints by residents.
This, she said, led to all of the existing short-term lets being essentially ‘waived through’ unlike councils in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
She said: “Councillors have not listened to what we’ve been saying. Their [licensing] scheme was supposed to be the answer to the many issues we had raised. It hasn’t.”
They say the panel hearing process works in favour of applicants, and against objectors who are required to make their case first, before the applicant or their agent speaks.
The campaigners also claim that older residents find it difficult to access the planning system and say it is skewed in favour of applicants and against objectors, who are required to make their case first, before the applicant or their agent speaks.
Lynn is adamant that the perceived influx of tourism spending is misplaced. “So much has been driven by the need to support tourism,” she said.
“The thing is – basically the economic benefit from these types of properties is not proven, because it removes properties which would normally be occupied by long-term residents living in and contributing to the local economy.”
She cites a 2023 Edinburgh City Council report that states that the ‘gross value added (GVA) effects are greater for residential uses than short-term lets across all property types and all areas’.
She said: “What is really frustrating is that they are chasing the dream of this boost to tourism, but it is not based on any hard evidence or clear thinking.
“Destination South Ayrshire’s chant through the years has been the need to promote tourism and the need to have the properties for the air show or the golf.
“They don’t realise so many properties may lie empty. Or occupied by workmen, who are contributing little if anything to the local economy. There is also an argument that the short-term let owners are able to undercut traditional guest houses and hotels and effectively poach their trade.”
Mr McKie said that the council has suggested that the STLs will be monitored. However, he questions whether the council has the resources and will to do so properly.
He said: “There is no plan to control short-term lets. We are not against some, as long as they are well controlled. We are against permanent residents being exploited to further the interest of speculators.”
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said that no applications had been refused, with renewals required every three years.
Licences are monitored using information from police reports, residents and communities, social media and partner agencies.
Landlords who contravene SLT licensing conditions face having their licence suspended or revoked.
The council spokesperson said that they were aware of the Edinburgh Council report and that supplementary guidance on STL operation in South Ayrshire had been published.
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