Freedom of information response
Planning requirements
Please could you advise me as to any planning requirements for permission to operate a short term holiday let in your area. For example properties and rooms that may appear on online portals such as Airbnb, Booking dot com etc.
This is also often known as Serviced Accommodation. It is generally full furnished rooms or properties with cooking facilities etc.
It may be let out for a single night, or it could be let for a much longer period of time.
This question excludes apart-hotels, hotels, hostels, bed and breakfast and similar properties clearly defined in the Use Class Order.
1) Which planning use class should the property be operating in?
Should it be C1, C3 or Sui Generis for example? Or can it operate in more than one?
2) Is planning permission required? if the property is not operating in that Use Class?
3) Does that Use Class change if a certain number of nights are occupied during the year? Or is planning permission required if a certain number of nights is exceeded per annum even if operating in the correct Use Class?
4) Does your answer vary if it is a full unit such as a house or flat, as opposed to an annexe or a room or two within a C3 dwelling? If yes, how would the partial or full holiday let differ?
5) Are there any other rules that serviced accommodation or short stay holiday let providers advertising on Airbnb etc., adhere to in addition to any number of nights per annum (question 3) within your area?
The Council does not presently have any specific policies in the current Core Strategy or guidance in adopted Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) relating to this type of use.
Should you require further information on the suitability of a specific property for such a use, the Council would advise you submit a request for pre-application advice. Details can be found via the Development Managment webpage: Pre-application advice service | Planning pre-application advice | Thurrock Council
You are free to use any information supplied to you for your own use, including non-commercial research purposes. However, any other type of re-use, for example, by publishing the information or issuing copies to the public will require the permission of the copyright owner.
Where the copyright is owned by Thurrock Council, you must apply to the Council to re-use the information. Please email information.matters@thurrock.gov.uk if you wish to re-use the information you have been supplied. For information where the copyright is owned by another person or organisation, you must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their permission.
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which the council have managed your FOI request you can pursue an Internal Review by contacting us using the above email address. Your request will be considered by a senior member of the Information Management Team who will update you with the outcome of the review.
If you remain unhappy following the outcome of your Internal Review you may wish to refer your case to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and details of this organisation can be found at www.ico.org.uk . Please be advised that the ICO will not consider your case until they have confirmation that you have already been through the Internal Review stage with the council.