Holiday Let Campaigners Push for Judicial Review

Campaigners are returning to the High Court to ask for a judicial review of a council’s policy of forcing people to apply for planning permission to convert a residential property into a second home or holiday let.

The campaigners - People of Gwynedd Against Article 4 - have already had a call for a judicial review rejected by the High Court but are returning to try again.

The case is against Gwynedd Council, North Wales, which is the first council to impose Article 4 regulations requiring property owners to seek planning permission before changing the use of a family home to a second home or holiday let.

Gwynedd’s Article 4 came into force on September 1 2024. The rules created three home planning classes: main home, second home, and holiday home.

Owners need planning permission for a change of use from a primary home but can change to a main home without permission.

The court booted out the campaigners’ application a week ago because the judge considered the council made a ‘robust and thorough’ exercise of introducing Article 4. The group has raised over £70,000 to fight the council in court.

Devaluing Home Values

They argue the planning rules will devalue their homes and make them harder to sell. The group’s social media page says their legal team has considered appealing the judge’s decision to refuse a judicial review.

“We have been using the term appeal as it is a widely understood term. However, it is not technically an appeal; it is a renewal of the application for permission, which essentially asks the court to reconsider the application for permission upon receipt of further submissions by our barrister,” said a spokesman.

“The legal team have advised that there is merit in renewing the application, so that request has now been lodged with the court.”

Gwynedd Council said it was aware of the judge’s decision, adding that buying houses to use as holiday lets and second homes had pushed prices higher than locals could afford and reduced the number of properties available to buy.

Eryri National Park also aims to introduce Article 4 in June 2025 in areas of Gwynedd and Conwy, where it governs planning.

Where Are Holiday Homes in Wales?

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that Gwynedd has around 4,400 holiday homes, representing around a fifth of the county's homes. The most popular areas for holiday lets and second homes are Abersoch, Aberdaron, Tywyn, and Llangelynnin.

Each zone on the map has an average population of 7,000. The areas with the most second homes or holiday lets are dark blue.

Source: ONS

Gwynedd is among the Welsh councils that charge a council tax premium on second homes and holiday lets. The premium varies between councils but can be up to 300 percent in Gwynedd.