Battle of Chelsea-on-Sea
Shop bans parish head after second homes row
It’s the quaint village which is so up-market it has become known as Chelsea-on-sea.
But its magnetic pull for wealthy Londoners has polarised opinion among the locals in Burnham Market.
the parish council chairman has been banned from businesses in the Norfolk village and is facing calls to quit over ‘incendiary’ comments about secondhome owners.
Dennis Clark said there was ‘genuine hatred’ towards outsiders who have invested in holiday homes.
It is among a string of communities along the north Norfolk coast to take measures against outsiders following local referendums, amid claims residents are being priced out and having to move elsewhere.
Mr Clark said in a recent interview: ‘they have turned our beautiful village into something resembling Center Parcs.’ But business owners argued the influx keeps them afloat and said acting against wealthy ‘townies’ is short-sighted.
Furious tim Roberts, who runs a restaurant, bakery, beauty salon and dog boutique, said he had banned Mr Clark from all of them and called on him to quit as chairman – adding most of the 30 shops in the village felt the same.
‘His comments that there is a genuine hatred for second-home owners among some villagers is incendiary and uncalled for,’ he told the Mail. ‘they are the lifeblood of the village.
‘For Mr Clark to come out with such inflammatory comments and say businesses benefit massively is not what you’d expect from a parish council chairman. Businesses are up in arms.’
Another business owner, who asked not to be named, said: ‘He’s not welcome in any of the businesses here. this whole thing has got completely out of hand. He’s the chair of the parish council – he shouldn’t be inciting hatred.’ the times quoted Mr Clark as saying: ‘None of the people who work in the village can afford to live here, we don’t have a village cricket or football team any more. Obviously traders in the village benefit massively, and estate agents make a fortune, but there is also a lot of anger.’
the 77-year- old retired oil and gas industry worker has since claimed he had been ‘misrepresented’, adding: ‘It feels like a witch-hunt is being organised. I shall not resign because I have done nothing wrong.’ the times declined to comment. A near unbroken 30-mile stretch of seaside locations in Norfolk including Blakeney and Heacham have taken action against second-home owners and holiday lets.
Parish councillors claim businesses are struggling to find staff, while the villages become ‘ghost towns’ in the off-season.
One measure is making newbuild properties available only to those who would use it as their main residence. such crackdowns were backed overwhelmingly in local referendums. More than 80 per cent were in favour in Burnham Market, where home sales averaged £990,000 last year – the most expensive in the county.
similar action has been taken elsewhere, including st Ives in Cornwall, salcombe in Devon and tenby in Pembrokeshire.
‘He shouldn’t be inciting hatred’