A trend over recent years has seen properties rented out to holidaymakers in villages across the region. This has created concern over the reduction of potential homes available for local people. Now it has emerged that Scottish Borders Council is monitoring the situation to judge when the number of Airbnb’s has reached a “tipping point” for which planning powers need to be enforced. Councillor Simon Mountford, SBC’s executive member of Planning & Community Assets, raised the issue at a meeting of the council’s Executive Committee on Tuesday (August 11). “It’s getting the balance right between economic development and housing but I can absolutely assure you that this work is ongoing.”