At a glance: What do the new C5 short term let proposals mean for wedding venues?
- The government has published a consultation, running from 12th April to 7th June 2023, to consider a new planning class for short term lets
- It deals specifically with Class C3 houses. Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs fall within Class C1 so will not be affected.
- Dwelling houses currently fall within Class C3.
- The new use class for short term holiday lets would be Class C5.
- Many wedding venues currently offer guest accommodation in Class C3 houses.
- A new permitted development right would allow the change of use from a dwellinghouse to a short term let in most cases.
- Under the proposal, a short term let would be defined as the "use of a dwellinghouse that is not a sole or main residence for temporary sleeping accommodation for the purpose of holiday, leisure, recreation, business or other travel."
- A new permitted development right would mean owners of existing properties already used for short term lets would not be required to apply for planning permission (assuming no other planning restrictions).
- Councils in areas with a housing imbalance could revoke permitted development rights in order to retain control of the number of dwellings in C3 or C5 use in a specific area.
- This consultation deals specifically with the use of the dwellings and does not propose any other legislation in terms of licensing etc.
- This consultation deals specifically with planning. There is a separate consultation looking at registration of short term let properties.
Until now, many wedding venue owners have offered all or part of a residential property as guest accommodation the night before or after a wedding, assuming that they are entitled to do so but without the protection of C1 planning.
In our opinion, the proposal put forward by the government to formalise the planning situation is a positive direction for wedding venues, giving more certainty for venue owners and couples. A separate scheme, proposing the registration and regulation of short let properties, would help maintain high standards and the safety of wedding guests.
Understanding more about the potential changes.
Wedding venues that offer guest accommodation, but are not formally classed as hotels or guest houses, should be aware of the two new schemes aimed at regulating guest accommodation in England.
Both schemes are now at consultation stage and are expected to take effect next year.
A large proportion of venues listed on Guides for Brides will be affected, so we have spoken to relevant experts to share the key facts with you, along with links to additional information and surveys that will enable you to have your say.
From the experts
If your venue is already classed as a hotel, guest house, B&B or camp site the proposals are unlikely to affect you.
It's important to note that both schemes are still at proposal stage, so this article sets out our opinion, and that of other experts, on the most likely outcomes.
Planning consultant Jayne Norris, whose company Edgars looks after many country houses and estates in the Cotswolds, commented "The draft planning changes to the use of homes for holiday lets and short term lets, seeks to provide clarity on a topic that can lead to business uncertainty for owners and events businesses. The proposed new Class C5 will enable home owners to flex between Class C3 (dwelling houses) and Class C5 (short term lets) unless a local authority removes this right, through an Article 4 Direction or restrictive condition. The current consultation provides an opportunity to make your views known on these future planning controls, either in favour or against - or make comments for change. In uncertain times making representations on a key planning regulatory change which affects the wedding venue market and business will help provide more certainty for the industry."
Why is a change needed?
There has been a significant growth in temporary guest accommodation options, with over 277,000 properties in England now available on digital platforms like AirBnB.
Unlike hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and camp sites that are formally registered and are required to follow specific safety standards, these properties are currently totally unregulated.
When will the changes come into effect?
We expect the changes to come into force during 2024.
Which venues will be impacted and what will change?
There are two schemes, one covering a new registration scheme for guest accommodation and the other covering a new planning class for houses used for short lets. Both have been in the pipeline since 2021 as part of the government's levelling up measures, and are likely to come into effect in 2024.
We believe that the first scheme will impact a lot of wedding venues, as the government is considering including temporary structures such as shepherd's huts and yurts.
For wedding venues offering any type of overnight accommodation, it would involve registering each unit of accommodation and complying with appropriate regulations to keep guests safe.
The second scheme is relevant to wedding venues that rent out a house classed by planning as a dwellinghouse (planning class C3). This would typically be a nearby cottage offered as "night before" accommodation, or where guests stay in the farmhouse or country house after the wedding. We've noticed that currently very few are classed as C1 (hotels and guest houses) as venue owners have relied on them being classed as AirBnB type properties… until now.
This scheme would introduce a new C5 planning class for short term lets with an automatic right to change your planning class from C3 (dwellinghouse) to C5 (short term let), unless your venue is in an area with a lack of housing, in which case you'll need to apply for permission to change to C5.
How can you protect your interests?
The government is seeking feedback on both schemes before 7th June 2023.
If you'd like to offer feedback on the new registration scheme use this form.
You can share your views on the proposed new planning class for short lets scheme by completing this questionnaire.
For those wanting to understand more, we've put together a more detailed Q&A with Xenia Venues on both proposals.