Views are being sought on introducing short-term let control in both Highland and part of Eastern Perthshire.
Perth and Kinross Council narrowly voted to proceed with a consultation, which will run from Friday until July 28.
Short-term let control can offer a variety of measures to address a lack of affordable housing, particularly in popular tourist areas.
But concerns were raised at the Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee met on Wednesday, due to a lack of information over the number of short-term let properties are in the area , and their location.
Members voted by eight votes to seven to proceed with the consultation.
Conservative and independent councillors wanted to delay the consultation – hoping to hold off until the council had clearer evidence.
Figures shown to the committee detailed that the number of self-catering units in the region had risen from 843 in 2017 to 1,054 in 2021.
Convener Andrew Parrott tabled a motion to proceed with the consultation which was seconded by Highland Perthshire councillor Mike Williamson.
Councillors vote eight to seven for short-term let consultation
Conservative Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes put forward an amendment which called for a delay until the start of October 1 – the deadline for when all short-term let licence applications have to be made.
He said: “This document is bursting at the seams with data – data that’s very complex and difficult for lay people like us to understand.
“What it’s lacking in my opinion is hard evidence.
“We don’t know how many short-term lets there are in Perth and Kinross. We don’t know how many houses this will bring back to the affordable housing market.
We don’t even know how many houses have been sold in the proposed control area and what the average price was.”
He added: “No one denies there is a shortage of housing but this document doesn’t tell us if the problem lies with the short-term let market – my feeling is that it doesn’t.
“I am at a loss as to why the administration didn’t leave this until at least October when we will have more accurate data.”
Seconding Mr Forbes’ view, Independent councillor Dave Cuthbert said: “In principle, I’m fully supportive of the concept of controlled areas.
Councillors called for delay in consultation
“The issue I have is we’re not giving statistics time to come in. There could be other communities in Perth and Kinross.
“We should be doing this in planned way – looking at the statistics and where we should be putting in these planned zones.”
SNP’s Grant Laing, and leader of Perth and Kinross Council, invited those in support of the amendment to visit Dunkeld and Birnam in his Strathtay ward, and “learn first-hand rather than looking from further afield at this problem”.
Conservative councillor for Highland Perthshire John Duff said: “Representing the Highland ward, I fully appreciate the issues surrounding a lack of affordable housing.
“However, this is a big decision for the committee and ought to be made with the benefit of the best and most accurate data and evidence that we can obtain.”
Bailie Alasdair Bailey added that there was a “stark” need for housing in Perth and Kinross and put his support behind the motion.
Listing the need for housing for staff in childcare, hospitality, health and social care, the Labour councillor added: “There are the operators of short-term lets who can’t get staff to clean those very same short-term lets.
“Short-term lets are occupying the very properties that the people who service them would like to live in.”
Comments will now be collected through the consultation hub from tomorrow for eight weeks.
Responses will be reviewed and reported back to the committee following the summer recess.
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