A parish council chairman has been prohibited from entering local shops after he criticised second homeowners in a Norfolk village.
Dennis Clark, 77, said there was “genuine hatred” towards outsiders who have purchased holiday homes in Burnham Market, a village that has been dubbed “Chelsea-on-Sea” due to the number of Londoners that own property there.
Clark said in an interview: “They have turned our beautiful village into something resembling Center Parcs.”
“None of the people who work in the village can afford to live here, we don't have a village cricket or football team anymore,” he told The Times during an interview about the impact of holiday homes on the area.
The village has been dubbed “Chelsea-on-Sea” due to the number of Londoners that own property there
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Some in the village were angered by his remarks, as they believe that second homeowners are a critical part of the area’s economy.
Tim Roberts, who runs four businesses on the market square, said he had banned Clark from all of them.
He is also calling for him to step down from the parish council and claimed that the majority of Burnham Market shop owners felt the same.
“They are the lifeblood of the village. You see village pubs, shops and post offices going [elsewhere] and that's what's going to happen here if they're not careful.
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Some business owners believe that second homeowners are a critical part of the area’s economy
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“For Clark – who is the parish council chairman, although not for long I hope – to come out with such inflammatory comments and say businesses benefit massively is not what you'd expect from a parish council chairman. Businesses are up in arms,” he told The Daily Mail.
Roberts, who moved to the village eight years ago, rebuked the claims that second homeowners were causing property prices to soar.
Another business owner, who wanted to stay anonymous, said: “He's not welcome in any of the businesses here.”
Clark said he has since received threats to himself and his family since the publication of the article. He is adamant that he will not resign.
Burnham Market's average home now costs £1millionGettyDespite many businesses supporting second homeowners in the area, not all residents feel the same.
When holidaymakers leave and return to their permanent residences, locals have complained that the town is “hollowed out” as homes are left empty for large periods of time.
Over 80 per cent of residents have voted in favour of the ban at a referendum in October last year.
The ban will prevent existing homes from being turned into holiday havens.
The proposed measures would put conditions on all new developments with any new-builds having to be for those who wish to make the home their principal residence.
It is estimated that one in four properties in Burnham Market is a second home.