(c) Representations (Pages 351-372)
Perth and Kinross Council · 26 January 2026
Back to Local Review Body — 26 January 2026 and its agenda
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4(iii)(c) LRB-2025-22 LRB-2025-22 25/00567/FLL - Change of use of flat to short term let accommodation unit 4B Kings Court, South William Street, Perth, PH2 8LA Representations
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1 SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Gerard Moran Sent: 28 September 2025 11:14 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Fwd: submissions LRB-2025-22 Follow Up Flag: Follow up Due By: 06 October 2025 10:00 Flag Status: Completed CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Gerry Moran Date: 25 September 2025 at 6:12:33 pm BST To: PlanningLRB@pkc.co.uk Cc: Gerard Moran Subject:submissions LRB-2025-22 Hello Lisa I own a property in kings court south William st Perth ph2 8la I would like to object to to the appeal for 4b kings court change of use of flat to short further to my original objections . in spite of not having planning permissions granted and no licence for a short term let the applicant chose to rent out the flat short term on numerous occasions with at least 14 strangers staying in the flat in the space of 4 weeks illegally the applicant was fully aware he did not have a licence to do so but went ahead and did so he is obviously someone who will act outside the law when he sees fit and can not be trusted when he applied for a licence for short term let he failed to post a notice of intention for 28 days in clear site so we could all see it which is a legal requirement once again breaking the law I feel he is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence for a short term let and I strongly object to the decision of pkc planning department being overturned by the review body the building has young children and vulnerable people it and I feel changing the decision to reject would cause ourselves and our neighbours distress concerning the safety and security we have a right to live in our properties and to look out for one and other which happens at the moment and totally change the whole fabric of the building . regards Gerry moran. Gerry Moran
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1 SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Robert Duncan Sent: 29 September 2025 20:07 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Re: LRB-2025-22 Follow Up Flag: Follow up Due By: 06 October 2025 10:00 Flag Status: Flagged CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Hello SPR. I stand by my initial comments, in addition I have a couple of observations regarding the appeal. I believe the extensive renovation carried out has no legal approval. This must put at risk any of the customers and other residents at Kings Court. Having been refused a license Mr Szmajdzinski continued, and continues, to let the flat out to customers. Given he seems pay scant attention to rules, regulations and the law I conclude that Mr Szmajdzinski is not a fit and proper person to be a landlord Regards Robert Duncan
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1 SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Emma Muir Sent: 30 September 2025 17:23 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Re: LRB-2025-22 CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Dear Lisa, I am writing to you regarding the application for the change of use of flat to short-term let accommodation unit 4B Kings Court, South William Street, Perth, PH2 8LA - Bart Properties Ltd (Application Ref: 25/00567/FLL). As I have said before, I strongly object to this proposal. Kings Court is a residential property; it feels entirely out of character for only one unit to be used for such purposes. Additionally, it has a communal entry way, which means that anybody with access to the building has access to every floor. Should the change of use be granted, it also raises serious questions about the safety of the building and the people who live here. I am entirely uncomfortable with having strangers come into the building on what is presumably going to be a regular basis. These people would not be known to any of the current residents in the building; therefore, it poses a safeguarding issue for the families with young children who reside here. I am also worried about the risk of damage to communal areas, such as the garden, which several residents have invested a great deal of time in, and the stairwell and hallways. Some residents use the space under the stairs on the ground floor to store bikes and prams. Should the change of use be granted, this would pose a risk of damage to personal property. These residents live here full-time, either in long-term rental accommodation or as owners of the properties and are well within their rights to store such items there. There is a sense of community here in Kings Court. We may keep to ourselves, but we respect each other and our shared spaces. It is not at all uncommon to hear horror stories of Airbnb guests who are unruly and disrespectful. We have already had disturbances with people who have rented flat 4B on a short-term basis since the applicant bought the property. Mostly noise in the halls and gatherings in the garden late at night. It is also worth mentioning that the applicant has been renting out the property without a license, breaking the law in doing so. I believe he has also had some structural work done on the property without the proper permissions. Lastly, there has never been any notice from the applicant regarding this proposal, which, in my understanding, should have been posted somewhere everybody could see it. There have been no such notices in any of the communal areas or on the street.
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2 Given his disrespect for the law and formal procedures, I feel this makes him a totally unsuitable businessman, and I would be concerned about his ability to monitor any guests he allows in the property and also his ability to deal with any issues brought to him by myself or fellow residents respectfully and satisfactorily. It is on these grounds that I still strongly oppose this proposal. Kind regards, Emma
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1 SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Kay Al < Sent: 01 October 2025 14:20 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Re: LRB-2025-22 Good afternoon Audrey, I own a property in Kings Court South William Street Perth, PH2 8LA. I would like to object to the appeal for 4B Kings Court change of use to short term let. As well as my original objections I have since found out further reason for objections. 1.Not a fit and proper person to be running a short term let in this building; the property is currently trading without a licence. The owner of the business is already breaking the law before they have even officially started running it. Guests, almost a constant flow of 1-6 guests have been staying at the property as advertised via Airbnb, Poland, booking.com and perhaps other platforms. To date, we have not received any Public Notice of Information, so have not legally been advised of the licence application. This implies that this has been hidden by the owner in order for there to be no objections. They currently have at least 6 other properties on their Airbnb and 13 on booking.com so are aware of the process involved in obtaining a Short Term Let licence. Withholding seems to be a conscious act. There are also breeches with Fire Safety and Building Standards. There is no HMO licence or valid Building Warrant. Running a business is a Right but it also comes with Responsibilities which include running it safely and honestly; something we have not seen evidence of yet. They are not taking into account this is a shared space with shared accountability and will therefore not be an appropriate member of our community. Otherwise, they wouldn't be applying for a licence in the first place. They are exploiting the honesty and safety in this community in order to make money. 2.The premises are not suitable for a Short Term Let; (i) This building is a residential building and has a small close community within it including families with young babies, infants, toddlers and teangers. We are long-term residents and part of the reason it is a community is because we take pride and care of one another. If it had a large turn over of strangers it would not be the kind of building it is. (ii) Commercial guests would be highly inappropriate in this building of residential tenants. (iii) Complete strangers from all over the world would be staying in this building without any accountability. This building and the long term residents do not have the capacity for this. (iv) As mentioned already, the flat has seen a high turnover of strangers coming in and out of the building. This has put all the residents on edge, e.g., asking who is at the door before answering, locking the door when taking the bins out or going into the back courtyard, checking who is out in the courtyard and what they are doing in our shared space and asking who anyone is if we don't recognise them. (v) Having a high turnover Short Term Let of strangers will put all the young children in the building at risk. It also puts all our premises, personal items and our shared spaces at risk. The items that are
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2 being stored appropriately under the stairs are items that belong to people who have not objected to the planning permission but they are now aware of the owner's attitude towards them which has been a completely unhelpful comment made by the owner of 4B. Let me make this clear; every person that has objected to the Short Term Let has done so by forming their own opinion through the nature and actions of the property owner of 4B. Nobody has manipulated anyone else's opinions. We gave objected because a Short Term Let is not welcome in this building. That's the whole point of democracy and being allowed to have an opinion with the right to voice it. We will not be silenced by someone who is breaking the law and comprising the safety and building integrity. I respectfully request; BACK OFF WALL STREET WANNABE. This is Perth not New York! Make your money somewhere else.
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1 SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Sharon Lawson Sent: 02 October 2025 13:43 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Re: LRB-2025-22 CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Good afternoon Thank you for notifying me about this and apologies for the delay in responding - I have been away on holiday. I am dismayed that this situation is continuing and that the applicant has applied for a review of the decision. I have found this whole situation very stressful and it has caused me a lot of anxiety, and all this on top of the weeks of noise from the flat being renovated I have already endured. I work from home and this whole saga has been unbearable and grossly unfair to all the neighbours. I felt I just had to respond again as I believe the applicant has not been truthful or honest during this whole time. The applicant has already been letting out the flat on a short term let basis and I have observed him and his partner meeting people outside the building to hand over keys and he has not "checked IDs when he meets them in person" as he claimed. I was almost attacked by one of two dogs belonging to people staying in that flat when I met them in the corridor and the owner had to pull the dog back. This sort of incident underlines my concerns for a short term let operating is this residential building. My entry door buzzer has also been used for people trying to gain access to 4B and this is very disruptive and unsettling, especially when it happens at night. I am also appalled at him mentioning my neighbour, Obviously, the neighbours all talk to each other as the majority of us have been here for years and we were all similarly very concerned about this short term let application and we all decided for ourselves that we must appeal against it. I believe the applicant has not played fair with the neighbours in the building or with the Council and he chose to do whatever he pleased. He did not adhere to or respect the Council's planning application rules and he should not be rewarded for this selfish disregard by having the original decision overturned. I would appreciate if you could advise me if I need to submit this further representation in a form or via some other method. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Sharon Lawson
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SPR Planning Local Review Body From: Bartek Sent: 09 October 2025 11:59 To: SPR Planning Local Review Body Subject: Re: LRB-2025-26 CAUTION: This email originated from an external organisation. Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you have verified the sender and know the content is safe. Response to Objections — Planning Appeal for 4B Kings Court, South William Street, Perth (Ref: 25/00567/FLL) Dear Members of the Local Review Body, I would like to take this opportunity to respectfully respond to the objections raised in relation to my appeal for the change of use of the property at 4B Kings Court, South William Street, Perth, to a short- term let. I fully appreciate the concerns expressed by neighbouring residents and wish to clarify a number of points to provide accurate context and reassurance. 1. Current Use and Letting History The property has not been in continuous short-term use. It was rented for approximately five weeks to a single company whose employees were carrying out construction work nearby. This was one continuous booking, not multiple stays, and the guests were professional tradesmen who respected the property and the communal areas. Following this short period, the flat has remained empty and has not been used or advertised for short-term letting since. There has been no ongoing short-term activity at the property. 2. Intention to Sell and Market Conditions Our intention was to sell the flat. However, as is widely recognised, Perth City Centre flats are currently very difficult to sell, with limited demand in the local property market. The short-term let proposal therefore represents a practical and responsible interim solution to ensure the flat remains maintained, secure, and contributing positively to the local economy. The property is currently still on the market with local estate agency called „Possible”. 3. Building Warrant and Compliance with Regulations We acknowledge that the internal refurbishment works carried out required a building warrant, and we have submitted an application which is currently under consideration. We are fully committed to carrying out any further works or adjustments required by Building Standards officers to ensure the property fully complies with Scottish Building Regulations. All works have been undertaken with safety and compliance in mind, and we will cooperate fully with the Council to bring the property to the highest approved standard. 1
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Furthermore, we have been in ongoing contact with Perth & Kinross Council to ensure full understanding and compliance with short-term let licensing requirements. There has been no deliberate attempt to operate unlawfully; the short, single-company rental occurred prior to full clarity on the transitional licensing rules. Since then, the property has remained vacant pending proper approvals. 4. Management Standards and Guest Restrictions Should permission be granted, the property will be professionally managed and strictly limited to a maximum of four guests at any one time. To ensure minimal impact on other residents, we will: • Require guest verification and identity checks before every booking. • I will personally come, verify the guests, let them in, explain the rules and then pass the keys. • Employ professional cleaning and maintenance services. • Enforce strict house rules, including a total ban on parties, gatherings, or noise disturbances. We will also add noise monitoring devices to make sure there’s no excessive noise. We have many years of experience successfully managing several short-term let properties across the region, all of which operate with zero complaints or issues from neighbours. This positive record can be verified and demonstrates our commitment to responsible operation and community respect. We own properties with same communal entrance, very close to Kings Court that got approved, they have been operating for over two years now, with planning/licence in place - there were absolutely no issues caused by our guests, our neighbours are very happy. They were also concerned at the beginning but this quickly turned into positive change, we even hire some of the neighbours to clean our apartments. Most of the humans don’t like changes - they fear the uncertainty and effort it brings. But once the brain realises the new situation is safe and beneficial, resistance often fades. This is the exact situation in this building, none of the neighbours had any experience with short term lets, they only assumed and heard of “Airbnb guests from hell” etc, which sells very well by the media’s. I can promise that non of our guests will cause any issues to any of the neighbours, they won’t even know they are there. Our workers or tourists guests don’t spend much time in the property, they are usually away - working or going out to see our beautiful city & enjoy local restaurants. Perth is also a very strategic destination to anyone wanting to visit central Scotland. I’m that confident that non of the guests will cause any issues, I’m willing to pay £100 to any charity, every time our guests cause any trouble. 5. Fire Safety and Communal Areas Fire safety is a top priority. The property will fully comply with all Scottish Fire and Rescue Service requirements, including the installation of appropriate smoke and heat detection systems. We added a smoke detector in every single room, the best ones on the market, hard wired and interlinked together. 2
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We would also like to highlight that storing items such as bicycles, baby strollers, or prams in communal stairwells is not permitted under Scottish Fire Safety regulations. These areas must remain completely clear to ensure safe evacuation routes in the event of an emergency. Therefore, while we understand some residents use these areas for storage, this practice represents a fire risk to all occupants and is not compliant with building safety standards. Our factor (James & Gib) agreed with us that those items are a fire risk (by email) and should be removed immediately, which makes this objection not relevant. 6. Respect for the Community and Neighbours We recognise that Kings Court is a close-knit residential community, and our aim is to operate in a way that complements and respects that environment. We are committed to: • Maintaining open and direct communication with all neighbours. • Addressing any concerns promptly and constructively. • Ensuring that all guests are respectful and aware of the shared nature of the building. A professionally managed short-term let, with responsible guests and clear rules, can coexist harmoniously within a residential setting and ensure that the flat remains secure and well-maintained rather than sitting empty. 7. Positive Contribution to the Area Approving this change of use will help ensure that: • The property remains occupied, maintained, and secure, reducing the risk of deterioration. • The flat supports local businesses by bringing visitors who contribute to the Perth economy. • The building’s overall upkeep and presentation are improved through ongoing professional maintenance. • We work directly with local restaurants by recommendation, our guests gets discounts and are a huge help to local restaurants & coffee shops. Perth is in big need to bring more people willing to spend more money in the town, as you are aware people going away to different city/country are willing to spend much more money than a local person. In summary: • The flat will host a maximum of four guests, with professional management and strict guest rules. • We have a strong track record of operating multiple short-term lets responsibly and without any neighbour complaints. • We are fully committed to legal compliance, building safety, and maintaining the peace and character of Kings Court 3
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.We are willing to make special exceptions to make everyone happy. I respectfully ask the Review Body to take these clarifications into consideration and to grant planning approval for change of use, subject to reasonable conditions, to allow the property to be used safely, legally, and responsibly. Kindest Regards Bartek Szmajdzinski Bart Properties Ltd 4
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