Holiday homes ‘force locals out and split families’
THE number of second homes and the lack of affordable housing is pushing young people out of the Derbyshire Dales and splitting up local families, councillors claim.
They talked about the growing expansion of second homes in the area and the “heartbreaking” impact caused by a lack of affordable housing at a Derbyshire Dales District Council meeting on Thursday.
There are said to be nearly 1,000 second homes in the Dales, accounting for one in every 34 homes in the district.
Cllr Peter Slack, who represents the Wirksworth ward, said: “Over the last number of years we have seen an increase in the Derbyshire Dales of small dwellings being acquired by people and companies, and holiday lets which fall into the category of second homes.
“At the same time many young local people looking to acquire homes for the first time in their local areas near their families are being priced out of the market by people that are purchasing the dwellings as an investment, and are also making a great deal out of re-letting the properties at inflated rates way above normal rents.
“Yes, we do need tourists to visit the Derbyshire Dales, but we have many good hotels, B&BS and self catering holiday flats around the district.
“There is a great problem that young people have to leave their Derbyshire Dales to get onto the property ladder, and in turn this leads to families being split and villages with less children to sustain schools, and the community spirit diminishes.”
Cllr Slack said more controls were needed to prevent the increase in second homes.
Leader of the council, Cllr Garry Purdy, said: “Yes, it would be good to see more controls to reduce the number of second homes within the Dales and give local people more opportunity to buy such properties.
“There are just under 1,000 second homes in the Derbyshire Dales, out of a total housing stock of approximately 34,000.
“The Derbyshire Dales has the 61st highest number of second homes of all English local authorities.
“There are very few controls available to local councils to control the number of second homes.”
He said plans were afoot which could see councils given more power to hike council tax on second homes, with the Dales already having approved plans to hike tax for empty homes by several hundred per cent – depending on how long they have been vacant.
Cllr Slack said: “This is a problem right through the villages as we see deserted villages in the middle of the week.”
Cllr Purdy said: “About 10 years ago we lost an affordable housing scheme at Bonsall and I had to listen to mothers crying outside the village hall because certain people in the village, who had got money, took us to judicial review, which we eventually won, but by that time Nottingham Community Housing Association had lost the grant.
“As you know the provision of affordable housing has been a priority for both the council and myself as leader for many years.
“The council has a good track record in the delivery of new affordable homes, averaging 76 each year.”
He said the authority was in the process of providing its own council housing again after multiple decades, and that it was giving its full support to projects in Eyam, Hathersage and in other villages.
There is a great problem that young people have to leave their Derbyshire Dales to get onto the property ladder. Cllr Peter Slack