(Title Image: Daily Post)
- Plaid Cymru: Second home “crisis” is changing the character of small communities.
- Report drafted by the party calls for a set of measures to restrict second homes and increase the supply of affordable housing for locals.
- Majority of MSs back Welsh Government amendments supporting an evidence-based review of second home ownership.
The Motion
The Senedd:
- Recognises the housing crisis in many communities and the detrimental impact of unsustainable levels of second homes in depriving local people access to homes in those communities.
- Welcomes the steps some local authorities have taken to introduce council tax premiums on second homes and to facilitate the introduction of measures to meet the local need for housing but agrees that renewed intervention and leadership is now required at a national level.
- Calls on the Welsh Government to act, including:
- using the planning system to control the ability to change the use of a residential dwelling to a second home
- introducing a cap on the proportion of overall housing stock in communities under stress which may be used as second homes
- closing second home council tax loopholes, doubling the council tax premium on second homes to at least 200% and doubling higher rates of land transaction tax for six months to prevent house prices from spiralling beyond the reach of the locals and first-time buyers
- encouraging developments which have local market clauses attached and prioritising the purchase of empty homes by local authorities and housing associations to meet the local need for social housing
- looking at what constitutes an “affordable home”
Second homes “now a crisis”
Delyth Jewell MS (Plaid, South Wales East) stressed the critical situation in parts of Wales which was resulting in communities being emptied for most of the year, not aided by the UK media’s portrayal as places in rural Wales as “boltholes”.
Reducing the number of second homes made economic sense too, with young people who are otherwise priced out of their own communities being able to remain year-round instead of villages coming to life for one month a year.
“The housing market shouldn’t allow people to buy secondary properties at the expense of the communities and the people who live in those communities….We are talking here about a crisis….Last year, one in every three homes sold in Gwynedd and Anglesey were sold as second properties. 12% of Gwynedd’s housing stock are houses where the owners live outside the area. This rate is among the highest in Europe.”
– Delyth Jewell MS
Shadow Communities Minister, Mark Isherwood MS (Con, North Wales) called for a balanced approach. Yes, there was an issue with the supply of affordable housing which the Welsh Government has failed to address, but there were potential unintended consequences from a blanket crackdown on all holiday homes.
While supporting the motion, Neil McEvoy MS (Ind, South Wales Central) accused Plaid Cymru of hypocrisy. Plaid-run Gwynedd Council’s planning policies haven’t addressed the issue, while 40% of Plaid’s MS’s register interests in second homes – a higher proportion than the Tories and Labour.
Mike Hedges MS (Lab, Swansea East) supported any and all efforts to bring empty homes back into use; there are at least 43,000 empty properties in Wales.
Striking a balance
Minister for Housing & Local Government, Julie James (Lab, Swansea West), stressed the need for balance between supporting a tourism-based economy and ensuring communities remain viable and thriving all year round. One option is an exploration of a tourism tax to support communities impacted by tourism.
The Welsh Government amendments – which were passed – supported an evidence-based review of second home ownership which would look at tax, planning, local regulations and supply of affordable housing.
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