Owners of a Keswick apartment that was being marketed as an Airbnb property in breach of a local occupancy condition have agreed to cease the operation.
Thursday night’s meeting of Keswick Town Council heard that the apartment, known as The Warehouse on Southey Street, was one of six granted planning permission in April 2013. It was being advertised to travellers online as a short term holiday let despite there being a local occupancy condition attached to the permission granted by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA).
The breach of the condition was highlighted by councillors – Steve Harwood, Allan Daniels and Markus Campbell Savours – who have been working jointly with the Keswick Community Housing Trust to raise issues with the LDNPA and Allerdale Borough Council where they have evidence of breaches occurring.
They have now requested that a letter be sent from the town council to the LDNPA’s solicitor seeking an undertaking for all six apartments to ensure that the relevant occupancy restrictions are being complied with.
Cllr Harwood said: “We wanted to make people aware that if they are letting their home which has a local occupancy condition attached that they are running the risk that this will be challenged.
“This was a particularly black and white case and we were concerned that the national park was dragging its feet over it.”
