Joint policy move on second homes (From Western Telegraph)

Joint policy move on second homes

COULD Exmoor National Parks proposal to restrict the sale of second homes set a precedent for Pembrokeshire?

Plans to be published next month propose that people who want to own a permanent residence in Exmoor as a second home (to be used for less than six months of the year) will need special planning permission.

The plans also propose restricting newly-built houses to local residents, who in turn will only be allowed to sell them to locals who have been in the area for at least ten years.

In Pembrokeshire, around one house in 20 is a second home and there is real concern that a rise in ownership could spell the end for some communities.

Councillor Bill Philpin has long fought for the problem to be addressed. We need to preserve our communities, he said. Exmoors proposals can only strengthen Pembrokeshires hand.

A spokesman for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority said the authority recognised that the high demand for second homes and retirement homes in the National Park has led to inflated house prices, resulting in a threat to the viability of local communities.

But, he said, building more homes did not necessarily mean homes for local people.

Past experience has shown that continuing to meet demand only has a marginal effect in terms of providing dwellings for local need, he said.

The Park Authority is now looking at pursuing a policy to address the issue in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council, where the limited land available for new house building is used to strengthen rural communities by using it to meet the housing needs of local people.

It is intended that this will be done by introducing a policy framework which restricts further housing development unrelated to the identified needs of local people, said the Park spokesman.

Such restrictions do help to suppress housing prices so that they become more affordable for locals.

There continues to be a strong demand for housing in many areas of the National Park, but many settlements may have reached their acceptable limit of development.

If substantial damage to their character and to the landscape is to be avoided, future rates of building need to be curtailed.

John Morris of Trecwn, who has been looking for a new house for the past five years, blamed local estate agents for putting properties up for auction too often.

They give ridiculous guide prices which get local peoples hopes up - but they know people from away can pay twice the price. It causes a lot of resentment among local people, he said.