Resort urges council to kick out holiday home owners

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Whitby residents have voted overwhelmingly to end second home ownership in the North Yorkshire resort.

At the first local referendum in more than a decade, fed-up locals backed the question posed by the parish council: ‘Should all new-build and additional housing in Whitby parish be restricted to full-time local occupation as a primary residence only and forever (in perpetuity)?’

Planning decisions

Many complain that the seaside town is swamped with holiday cottages, fuelled by the staycation boom. Local businesses are struggling to get staff because the area is too expensive to attract new people, while existing residents are forced to buy elsewhere. The result of the referendum is not legally binding, but it could help inform future planning decisions or encourage Whitby Town Council to formally put a neighbourhood plan in place, similar to one in St Ives.

Leo Thai, from Jacksons Estate Agents, told the BBC that about 75% of properties were currently sold as second homes or to investors. “A lot of the time people find that they are out priced or find that they are in a position where they are competing with people coming into Whitby,” he added.

Council tax

Many other coastal communities around the UK are calling for more powers to reduce the amount of second homeowners in their areas. In Wales, the Local Government and Housing Committee has just called on the Welsh Revenue Authority to use consistent definitions when designing policies so that it can differentiate between buy-to-let investments and properties that can be classed as second homes or holiday lets.

Last month, it was announced that landlords in Wales who rent out self-catering accommodation on an infrequent basis will be liable for council tax – an average of £1,777 for a band D property. In England, second homes will need to be rented out for a minimum of 70 days a year to access small business rate relief rather than paying council tax, from April 2023.

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