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Category: Press Release

Ditch Self-Catering Control Area to Save Festival City, Ministers Told

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

A group of prominent business leaders and small business owners have urged the Scottish Government to reject a cumbersome and restrictive city-wide control area on short-term lets in Edinburgh.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing, and Local Government, Shona Robinson, which has attracted 44 signatories from across the sector, the businesses stress the damaging impact the new measure will have on Edinburgh’s Covid-19 recovery and the damage it is set to inflict on the city’s diverse, world-leading tourism offering.

The letter goes on to implore the Scottish Government to consider Edinburgh’s unique position as a festival city, leading tourism destination, and business centre.

In a passionate plea to ministers, the group also warns that the decision will bring hugely damaging unintended consequences for the city’s economy, threatening jobs throughout the wider supply chain and depriving small business owners of their livelihoods.

Drawing on evidence submitted by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) to Edinburgh Council, the letter additionally points out that the policy misunderstands the nature of self-catering businesses in Edinburgh, will bring additional pressure on a council budget already stretched to breaking point, and fails to take a holistic view of the housing challenges currently faced by residents in the capital.

The ASSC, and its valued colleagues across the sector, have continually warned against overly restrictive and heavy-handed measures being taken against the sector which contributes around £70m to the Edinburgh economy each year.

In addition to the Cabinet Secretary, the letter has also been sent to Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes, Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur, and Minister for Tourism, Ivan McKee.

Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers Chief Executive, Fiona Campbell, said:

“Edinburgh’s self-caterers play a key role in ensuring that the city maintains its position as a world-leading destination for tourists and this excessive measure threatens that with extinction.

“Rather than biting the bullet and building more homes, this measure targets an important sector in the economy and will have massive negative ramifications while doing nothing to increase the availability of homes.

“It is for this, and the other reasons highlighted in this letter, that we are calling on the Scottish Government to see sense, back small business, and reach a sensible, pragmatic, and fair solution that works for all.”

Daniel and Sarah Noon said:

“Our inability to operate as a SLT would have a major Impact on us as a family.

“We are a couple with a young baby aged four months and we rely heavily on the business to support ourselves.

Antonia Allan said:

“I have a one bedroom flat in Stockbridge. It has its own front door and is in a sparsely populated mews.

“We have never had any complaints from the neighbours about our guests and we have never had any antisocial guests – just quiet couples enjoying the benefits of reasonable self-catering accommodation.

“If we are refused planning and have to cease to operate it will be devastating for me.

Eddie Harper, Harper’s Concierge Services Limited said:

“Our business relies on approximately 90% of properties within shared stairs, and the new planning requirement along with licensing means we would likely close down.

“This will result in three direct job losses, along with at least 25 cleaning and laundry support staff losing income and potentially going out of business, as they all rely on our existence for their own business.”

ENDS

Read the letter to Ministers: Letter to Scottish Government Edinburgh PCA 010322

Read the Response from Ministers: Response from Tom Arthur

Read the Response from Shona Robison: Response from Shona Robison

List of supporting businesses:

  • Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, Fiona Campbell, Chief Executive
  • At Home In Edinburgh, Rick & Vicky McCann
  • BNB Property Services, Wojtek Maslanka
  • Bonjour Residences, Fan Zhang, Managing Director
  • Bookster, Robin Morris, Director
  • Calton Hill, Philip Moet, Owner
  • Castle Heights, Danielle Birkett
  • Cozy with Character, Apartments with Soul, Daniela Nolte, Managing Director
  • Dunc & Dees, Duncan & Daniela Forbes
  • Dickins, Louise Dickins, Managing Director
  • Edinburgh Getaways, Lea O’Connor, Owner/Operator
  • Edinburgh Heart Hosting Homes Ltd, Raffaele, Luigi and Stefano, Directors
  • Edinburgh Homes Ltd, Marta Kawale
  • Edinburgh Property Hub, Shaban Mohammed, Owner / Manager
  • Edinburgh SC (Self Catering) Ltd, Glenn Ford
  • Edlets.com, Alison Ro, Owner/Directorgers
  • Evergreen Property Ltd, Barry Burton
  • Gorgie Property Management Ltd, Joseph Kellie, Owner/director
  • Grassdrum Management Ltd, Ben Powell
  • HandyHouses, Pamela Johnston, Owner
  • Harper’s Concierge Services Ltd, Eddie Harper
  • Heritage City Lets Ltd, Melanie Angus, Director
  • Holiday let’s Assist, Scott Zelenka, Partner
  • InnerCityLets, Jon Anderson, Owner / Manager
  • InterC Consultancy Partners Ltd, C Soccal, Director
  • J5 Developments Ltd / Platinum Serviced Apartments, John Jacobs, Owner
  • Landlord’s Little Helper Ltd, Jen Burton, Owner/Director
  • Millie’s Lets, Moira Baverstock, Owner / Sole Trader
  • MR Properties Ltd, Michael Russell Owner/Director
  • Murphy’s Place – The Hopetoun St Apt, Adele Murphy
  • North Berwick Getaway, John O’ Brien, Owner
  • P and A Developments, Angus Neilson, Owner/Director
  • Property Shapers, Karen Di Rollo, Director
  • Raza Properties, Shahid Raza
  • Reserve Apartments, Craig Douglas, Director
  • Serviced Cleaning, Christine Lorimer, Owner / Manager
  • Stay In Style Ltd., Belinda and Stephen Caswell, Directors
  • Stay to Discover Ltd, Zeshan Haroon
  • The Bonnie Thistle Apartments, Jacqueline Robertson, Owner/Manager
  • The Edinburgh Address, Anna MorrisSiobhan Lees, Sales and Guest Relations Manager
  • The Edinburgh Concierge Co, Linda McDonald-Brown
  • The Restalrig Apartment, Susan Walsh
  • TLB Property Management Ltd., Tony Leatherbarrow, Owner/Director
  • Violet Bank Apartments, Steven MacLennan, Owner
  • Western Harbour Apartments, Tony Barry, Owner

 

  • Antonia Allan, Owner/Operator
  • Daniel & Sarah Noon, Owner/Operator
  • Dawn McRoberts, Owner/Operator
  • Georgia Nakou, Owner/Operator
  • Glenda A Robertson, Owner/Operator
  • Graeme Rae, Owner/Operator
  • Jana Fitzpatrick, Owner/Operator
  • Lynne Lister, Owner/Operator
  • Lynn Murray, Owner/Operator
  • Mairi Anne Bowen, Owner / Operator
  • Marion McNeill, Owner/Operator
  • Natasha Wilson, Owner/Operator
  • Ralph Averbuch, Owner/Operator
  • Raffaele Ottaviano, Owner/Operator

Press Release: ‘Last Chance to Save Scottish Self-Catering’ Ahead of Parliament Vote

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has warned that an upcoming vote at Holyrood is the’ “last chance” to save the Scottish self-catering sector from a damaging new licensing scheme.

It is expected that on Wednesday, MSPs will decide whether to impose a restrictive licensing scheme on thousands of small businesses across Scotland amid what the association has previously described as a “perfect storm” of hardship experienced by the sector.

If the licensing order is passed, traditional self-caterers will have to stump up for expensive fees at a time during which many are already struggling with impact of COVID-19, as well as the prospect of control areas and a tourism levy making the picture even more dire.

Despite the ASSC’s repeated calls, ministers have so far failed to take their expert advice and copious evidence into account and now seem intent on destroying Scotland’s vital self-catering sector through over-regulation.

Former Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP, has also weighed-in to the debate, branding his own government’s regulations as “arbitrary, irrational, and draconian” in a stinging attack on the misguided plans.

ASSC members have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government, and MSPs from all parties, to rally behind Scottish tourism and create an environment in which they can continue to help visitors, and Scots seeking a break, to have memory-making holidays rather than continuing this dangerous and damaging course of action.

Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers Chief Executive, Fiona Campbell, said:

“This vote is nothing short of the last chance to save self-catering in Scotland which boosts the economy by £867m per year.

“We are at the end of the line and MSPs have a very clear choice to make; either they can support Scottish small businesses, or they can choose to cave into hearsay, unevidenced claims, and anti-tourism agitators.

“When MSPs push their voting buttons in parliament, they should know that they do so with the future of a vitally important Scottish industry at stake and we urge them to make the correct decision by throwing this out to protect jobs and livelihoods.

ENDS

Press Release: Self-Caterers Condemn Scottish Government’s Short-Term Let ‘Stealth Tax’

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

Press Release:

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has slammed the Scottish Government’s controversial short-term let licensing scheme, branding it a “stealth tax”.

The trade body which represents the self-catering sector also pointed out that the new scheme, which is proceeding despite failing to attract the support of industry experts, will have a disproportionate impact on rural communities who rely on tourism at a time in which they need more support than ever.

Scottish Government representatives have previously justified the divisive policy by claiming that it would alleviate the housing crisis faced by many communities in Scotland. There is no evidence whatsoever that it will.

However, according to Scotland’s self-catering sector, licencing will merely result in a surge in second homes and would do nothing to correct the failures in government housing policy. Further, licencing is wildly out of step with the EU principals that the Scottish Government is so keen to abide by.

In what the association has previously described as a “perfect storm”, the multi-million-pound Scottish self-catering sector now faces continued uncertainty caused by COVID-19 exacerbated by damaging proposals like licencing and control zones.

Rather than hobbling the sector, which has behaved in an exemplary way both during and before the pandemic, to a satisfy the demands of a few obsessed partisans, the ASSC continues to call on the Scottish Government to take steps that support small businesses and tourism across Scotland.

Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers Chief Executive, Fiona Campbell, said: 

“While this policy is littered with mistakes – the biggest one is in the name; this isn’t really a licencing scheme, it’s a stealth tax on Scottish businesses, especially those in rural areas.

“Many people running legitimate businesses in Scotland’s countryside feel that this Scottish Government does not consider them to be a priority and this ill-considered and damaging stealth tax will do little to change that view nor will it garner support for any further regulatory burden such as a Transient Visitor Levy.

“Rather than continuing to curate this perfect storm of unfortunate circumstance and wrong-headed regulation, the Scottish Government should drop this scheme and work with the small businesses that will be crucial in our recovery and future prosperity.”

ENDS

Editor’s Notes

  • The Scottish Government have previously claimed their proposals for a fee structure were driven by cost recovery. However, the Scottish Government now appears to encourage local authorities to charge fees according to the turnover of the business, despite these businesses already registered to pay business rates, and complying with pre-existing HMRC Furnished Holiday Let, income tax and corporation tax regulatory regimes.
  • This was illustrated in a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing Shona Robison MSP on 23rdDecember 2021 to an ASSC member: “The average fee could be calculated in some way from the total fee revenue per year in relation to the total guest capacity in licensed accommodation.”

This comes on the back of the former Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Fergus Ewing, branding the Scottish Government’s licensing proposals are “arbitrary, irrational & draconian”.:

Herald, SNP MSP Fergus Ewing labels his own government’s Airbnb crackdown plans ‘draconian’, 21/12/21

Express, Nat MSP breaks ranks to describe his own government’s policy as ‘draconian’, 21/12/21