Seaside towns plot revenge against second homeowners as they plan to create 'draconian new rules'

Boats in Tenby, Wales

Frustrated seaside residents are planning to take revenge on second homeowners with new 'draconian' rules which clamp down on additional residences

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Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 03/10/2023

- 13:55

Updated: 03/10/2023

- 14:03

Locals say they are tired of being pushed out of their own housing markets

Frustrated seaside residents are planning to take revenge on second homeowners with new "draconian" rules which clamp down on additional residences.

Locals tired of being pushed out of their own housing markets claim they are "hollowed out" when homes sit empty outside peak season.


Many residents have called for an outright ban, similar to that in St Ives, Whitby and Burnham Market.

However, new regulations could see empty properties slapped with up to 100 per cent more council tax on second homes, while in Wales, new rules see that premium rise to 300 per cent.

In Swanage, Dorset where more than 1,000 of the 4,500 dwellings in the town are second homes, residents are fighting back

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Other areas are looking to impose strict rules on who can buy new builds, empty home surcharges and rejecting council services such as bin collections for part-time residents.

However, some critics fear the new regulations could cause a reduction in tourism which could see businesses damaged and seasonal locations turned into "ghost towns".

Authorities in Wales can now impose council tax hikes of up to 300 per cent on second homes after imposing the 100 per cent premium in 2017.

However, the new legislation came into effect in April - after councils in Wales set their budgets including council tax rates.

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In Broad Haven - where 36 per cent of the properties are holiday homes - locals agree that action should be taken, but many feel a blanket ban on outsiders buying second properties imposed by the parish council in the village of Burnham Market, Norfolk, was a step too far.

"First-time buyers can't compete – it's impossible for young families to get a foot on the housing ladder," Sue Newlands, 66, of Broad Haven told the Daily Mail.

"Some local villages are dying because of the number of second homes - they need to do something to make it fairer.

"I would back the council or Pembrokeshire National Park if they came up with a scheme to balance holiday homes and local homes much better. But a complete ban may be a step too far."

One resident living in Falmouth, Cornwall said: "The competition's fierce"

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In Swanage, Dorset where more than 1,000 of the 4,500 dwellings in the town are second homes, residents are fighting back.

The council has vowed to double council tax on second homes and implement empty home surcharges when legislation allows them to do so.

Local Karen Grant, 57 said: "With the price of property children and grandchildren can't afford to buy locally. The wages are not comparable with the house prices."

Oliver Berry, who lives in Falmouth, Cornwall told The I in June: "The competition's fierce. Every property has dozens of applicants. There are too few places, and too many people looking.

"Post-pandemic, the 'staycation' boom has made things worse, as landlords cashed in on the returns of short-term lets at the expense of long-term tenants."

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