A large house in Bolton which was hired out for short term lets saw neighbours subjected to late night gatherings for more than a year
The closure of an 18-bed ‘party house’ which caused misery for neighbours with regular noisy late night gatherings has led to calls for planning regulations to be tightened on short term lets.
Last month, Bolton Council successfully applied to a court for a closure order on a large detached property at 94 Smithills Croft Road, which had been operating as an Airbnb.
The council said there had been repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour and large parties taking place late into the night on an almost a weekly basis.
The house was advertised to sleep up to 18 people but neighbours reported that on at least one occasion and estimated 50 people were partying there.
Its closure order, granted by magistrates, means no-one can enter the flat or house without permission of the council, police, or courts for three months without committing a criminal offence.
A breach of the order could result in a significant fine and or up to 51 weeks in custody. The local authority said it was also pursuing wider enforcement action against the owner of the property.
At the time Smithills ward councillor, Sue Priest said those living nearby ‘can now enjoy a peaceful weekend’.
She added: “I cannot express how truly awful this has been for local residents living close to the constant disruption of parties late into the night.
“When approached, over a year ago, by a distraught resident I had no idea that these short term lets were available in Bolton. “We went to the magistrates court with residents and are truly delighted at the outcome.”
Coun Priest has now called for planning regulations to be tightened on short term lets. Speaking at full council this week, she said: “I am told that there has recently been an alarming increase in the number of short terms lets in Bolton and increasing anti-social behaviour being reported.
“This is a huge demand generator for a large number of departments, planning, enforcement, anti-social behaviour team, solicitors, to name a few, not to mention GMP.
“Would it not be a lot simpler, and much more cost effective if we include the requirement for planning permission in our policies? “It’s not rocket science.”
Bolton council’s deputy leader, Akhtar Zaman, said there was ‘ a lack of clarity’ in national policy on when and if planning permission is required for short term lets, which made dealing with them in planning terms ‘less straighforward’.
He said: “There are issues with some short term lets. “Local authorities have a range of powers in respect of statutory nuisance.“They can determine whether an issue such as noise constitutes a statutory nuisance and can serve an abatement notice.
“A closure order was used to resolve issues of noise and anti-social behaviour connected with the Smithills party house.
“National planning policy is unclear and lacks a definition of short term holiday lets and whether use of a dwelling for holidays or short term lets amounts to a material change of use.”