Housing plan could backfire (From Western Telegraph)

Housing plan could backfire

A controversial plan to impose a no incomers building ban could backfire and increase the housing shortage suffered by local people in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, land and rural business owners have warned.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has urged the park authority to think again about its proposal to restrict newly-constructed homes - including conversions from existing buildings - to local occupants who have lived in an area for at least three years, or who can prove they have an essential need to be housed in a particular location. Suppressing the supply of new dwellings would increase already spiralling house prices and push them beyond the pockets of local people, says the CLA.

The ban would also hit local building enterprises, and obstruct efforts to find new economic uses for redundant farm buildings, at a time when Pembrokeshire desperately needs new rural jobs and incomes to repair the damage inflicted by the the foot and mouth crisis.

The association has urged the park authority to develop an affordable housing programme based on the provision of good standard rented accommodation reserved exclusively for local people and managed by housing associations or housing trusts.

Dyfed CLA branch chairman Peter Loxdale said: For years, the CLA has campaigned vigorously for the provision of more affordable rural housing to help prevent local-born people being forced out of their home communities by high property values.

But the proposal by the Park Authority to use the crude sledgehammer of restrictive regulation to stop the construction of new homes for incomers will not provide more affordable houses for local residents. Indeed, the policy could aggravate the housing shortage it sets out to address.

The availability of housing is already small compared with the great demand for dwellings in one of the UKs most popular national parks. To suppress the already meagre supply of new dwellings even more will inevitably result in increased prices for existing housing stocks, a consequence which will not help local young people buy homes in the communities where they were born.

The inclusion of building conversions could also have serious economic and environmental consequences.

At a time when agriculture is struggling to revive, more and more barns and sheds are likely to be left redundant and seeking alternative economic or practical uses.

The sale of such buildings could be vital to fund the re-structuring of a farm business, or the launch of a commercially life-saving diversification which creates new jobs and incomes, says the CLA.

Homes for locals plan causes split

The issue of homes for locals has led to a split between Pembrokeshire County Council and the National Park Authority.

Last month, the Park Authority proposed that new houses built within the National Park should only be for locals or incomers deemed essential. The county council has now decided to oppose that suggestion.

The park authority and the county council are working on a joint development plan, aimed at guiding the development of Pembrokeshire. Both the park authoritys proposal and the county councils objection will go towards the final plan.

At a meeting of the county policy and resources committee, councillors voted in favour of a proposal from Councillor Alwyn Luke to disagree with the park authoritys resolution.

Councillor Luke said members from northern areas were up in arms about the proposal.

Councillor Bill Philpin spoke in favour of the proposal. He told the committee only 21% of the 200 properties in Little Haven were occupied full-time. He said: A hundred houses have been built and havent added a single child to he school.

Councillor Michael Williams also supported the proposal, saying it had not gone far enough. He said: I live in a town which is being completely swamped. With a three bedroom terraced house costing £125,000, what chance do young people have?

Committee chairman, John Allen-Mirehouse said Bill Philpin had highlighted a problem but that the park authoritys proposal did not address that problem. Council leader, Maurice Hughes said the council should oppose the proposal.

The councils chief executive, Bryn Parry-Jones, advised members they could not change the park authoritys decision, but could comment on it. County councillors who were also members of the park authority were not allowed to vote on the councils response

MP welcomes Parks stand on issue

Preseli MP Jackie Lawrence, who is also chairman of the Parliamentary All-Party Group for National Parks in Westminster, has welcomed moves by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to preserve building land in the National Park for local need.

There is an increasing problem for all rural areas throughout the UK and particularly for beautiful areas like the coastal belt in Pembrokeshire. People from all over the UK would like to settle here and the pressure on land for second homes and retirement homes often puts pressure on our rural communities.

Many local young people are unable to enter the housing market and previous census information shows that in parts of the National Park in Pembrokeshire 40% of the houses are owned as second homes.