Self-caterers 'blamed' for housing shortages

The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers (ASSC) has claimed its industry is being scapegoated by Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) and other governing bodies.

- KATHRYN ANDERSON

On Friday, June 27, the group held a demonstration outside PKC's headquarters as part of a Scotland-wide campaign.

The self-catering body believes blaming the self-catering sector for Scotland’s housing emergency could spark a “crisis in Scottish tourism” and “risk hammering an £864 million self-catering sector that underpins Scottish tourism”.

An ASSC spokesperson said self-caterers had “become an easy target for lazy attempts to scapegoat the sector, rather than deal with the real issues at hand; utilising empty properties and building more affordable housing”.

The association said, in Perth and Kinross, self-catering properties account for 1.7 per cent of housing stock while 5.5 per cent of Perth and Kinross homes lie empty and inactive.

The group argued it represents “hardworking legitimate local businesses” who “create jobs, support communities and welcome the world with affordable, flexible and quality stays”.

ASSC chief executive Fiona Campbell MBE said: “Hard-pressed self-catering operators will be experiencing more than a little sense of déjà vu as their sector is once again scapegoated for a shortage of homes.

“Recycling the same tired calls for even stricter controls on short-term lets, despite no evidence it will ease housing pressures, is regulatory overkill.

“They risk hammering an £864 million self-catering sector that underpins Scottish tourism.