Holiday and short-term lets proposed

TWO plans for homes to operate as holiday or short-term lets have come under the scrutiny of Stockton Council's planning officers.

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

Developers say in both cases the proposals will bring benefits without harming neighbours.

Both applications are retrospective, which covers cases where changes have already been made and the council is asked for permission for them to continue. In one plan, Shazad Ahmed applied for permission to change a first-floor flat on Skinner Street, Stockton to a short-term let, which had already been running for three years. It is to be offered to holidaymakers and business travellers.

The flat had “transitioned into short-term let accommodation without prompting any objections or concerns from statutory bodies or third-party consultees’. Fahim Farooqui from Total Planning Solutions wrote in a planning statement to the council on Mr Ahmed’s behalf.

He said the business on the ground floor ran independently and was unaffected by the flat.