Clwyd West MS Darren Millar is concerned that the Welsh Labour Government could “inflict huge damage on the holiday caravan industry “with its planned statutory registration and licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation.
The Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism outlined the proposals for the scheme in a statement to the Senedd this week.
Responding to the Statement, he said:
“I think everybody in this Chamber would absolutely agree that we need to make sure that visitor accommodation is safe. But I think what you are failing to grasp as a Government is that there are different types of accommodation that people like to enjoy. So, the standard and quality of accommodation in a tent is going to be very different to the standard and quality of a four-star hotel, for example.
“A holiday caravan is a completely different experience again. It is obviously is not going to meet the same quality standards as residential lettings that you seem to be implying that all accommodation will need to meet.
“What assurances can you provide that the scheme that you're proposing is not going to have an adverse impact on the holiday caravan industry and that any new licensing arrangements will not apply to individuals who might own a holiday caravan.”
Responding, the Deputy Minister indicated that the new visitor accommodation scheme would be rolled out in two phases, the first will require accommodation owners to register and meet safety standards and the second will look at “the further standards that we would require around the parity between short-term lets and residential accommodation”.
Speaking afterwards, Darren added:
“These proposals could inflict huge damage on the holiday caravan industry with anyone who owns a caravan and lets it to family or friends facing an unacceptable burden of having to be licensed to do so and having to meet a whole host of minimum standards to give ‘parity with residential properties’.
“On top of plans for a tourism tax and road charges this really could deliver a devastating blow to the visitor economy in Conwy and Denbighshire which so much of the local economy depends upon.”
