Appendix 1 - Objection - George and Elizabeth Boyd
Perth and Kinross Council · 10 August 2026
Back to Licensing Committee — 10 August 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 From: Lizzie Boyd Sent: 28 June 2026 23:15 Subject: STL Application Objection Dear Sir or Madam, Objection to Short Term Let Application No: PK48085N, 37 Ardblair Road, Blairgowrie, PH10 6TZ On behalf of Mrs Elizabeth Boyd, 39 Ardblair Road, Blairgowrie, PH10 6TZ My wife and I hereby object on behalf of my mother for whom we have Power of Attorney, to the above application on the following grounds: Firstly, Ardblair Road is a very quiet area, however, it is a narrow road which already suffers from a surfeit of traffic. Parking is very difficult, especially since the new rules banning pavement parking were introduced. The turning circle is frequently used for parking despite the ‘No Parking’ sign and at times it is almost impossible to park safely in front of No 39 as extra room has to left for cars attempting to make the turn. Mrs Boyd is over 99 years of age she requires parking to be available 24 hours a day not only for her family, but also for potential attendance by the emergency services. Any increase in traffic or parking in an already crowded street would be detrimental not only directly to Mrs Boyd, but also to the street in general. Secondly, the potential for noise, disruption and general disturbance is huge with a Short Term Let (STL) due to the continuous turnover of guests. Unfortunately, Short Term Renters are unlikely to respect the peace and quiet of the area as they have no personal investment in the quality of life of local residents and late-night partying and subsequent antisocial behaviour are a possibility which would lead to disruption not only for Mrs Boyd, but also for the street as a whole. I would point you to an article in the ft.com by James Max entitled ‘Thanks to Airbnb, I’m dreading summer in my garden’. We do not know if this will be an STL or an AirBnb, however his experience strikes dread. ‘The precise moment my faith in the so-called sharing economy died was on a perfectly agreeable
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2 Friday afternoon. I was sitting in the garden with a glass of fizz, believing that life is fundamentally good. Then they arrived. Not one car, not two, but seven, disgorging what appeared to be the entire population of a medium-sized suburb, complete with inflatable flamingos, a Bluetooth speaker the size of a municipal generator, and countless children who had clearly been sedated for the journey and were now making up for lost time at considerable volume, presumably fuelled by Haribo and the sort of parenting philosophy that regards screaming as self-expression… The modern Airbnb host communicates entirely through automated messages and a laminated sheet explaining how the dishwasher works and what the WiFi password is. The “sharing economy” it turns out, shares very little except noise and parking problems.’ Thirdly, there is currently a shortage of both affordable housing and affordable long-term rental property in Blairgowrie and the wider area. An article in the Perthshire Advertiser 23.06.26 by Kathryn Anderson regarding the short-term let control area in Highland and North East Perthshire, states that a report by Housing Strategy Planning and Policy Officer, Stephanie Durning, says that the control measure was a ‘necessary, proportionate and balanced response to managing housing pressure and supporting sustainable communities’. SNP council leader, Eric Drysdale, is quoted as saying ‘Short term lets are increasing across Perth & Kinross. That level of growth of course brings benefits, but it also brings consequences for the availability of homes and the sustainability of our communities’. Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee convener, Tom Mcewen is quoted as saying ‘This isn’t always about bringing houses back; it’s about stopping us losing more houses.’. No. 37 Ardblair Road was a family house, its previous owners brought up their children there and lived in it for decades. This type of house is perfect for a family and it is a tragedy that it might be lost to the community and the possibility of another family making it their forever home. Fourthly, Ardblair Road is not merely a street, it is a community. The neighbours all know and support each other. Mrs Boyd has lived there for over twenty years and the community of Ardblair Road has supported and cherished her. A short term let would disrupt this close knit, settled community, bring the potential for noise, disruption and uncertainty, as well as the loss of yet another family home from the area. In the above article, the Association of Scotland’s Self-caterer’s chief executive, Fiona Campbell MBE, is quoted as saying that restricting self-catering would ‘damage a vital part of the local economy’, but what about all the local hotels and Bed & Breakfast establishments which have already been damaged by STLs and Airbnb’s in this area? Fifthly, I am aware that the potential devaluing of properties adjoining an STL is not regarded as a valid objection, however I find this to be in total disregard for the wellbeing of the adjoining property owners. Are these owners considered to be of less worth than the landlord of an STL? In this case of a potential landlord who I believe already owns other STL properties, which suggests that these properties may only be a source of profit and not an asset to the community. I should also point out that the notice re the licence application appeared on the lamppost in front of the property on 17.06.26 and had been removed by yesterday 27.06.26. The notice says that it was first posted on 03.06.26 and the online application says 02.06.26. It seems to me that Mr & Mrs Smith have played somewhat fast and loose with the 28-day notice period. Ardblair Road is not suitable for an STL of any sort, and at 99 years of age, Mrs Boyd should not be subjected to the uncertainty and potential disruption this would bring to her life. Yours faithfully, Mr George C Boyd & Mrs Elizabeth G Boyd 11 Larch Avenue, Blairgowrie, PH10 6TG