Second-homers may face tighter rules over and above latest Bill
A NEW crackdown on second homes has been proposed by the housing minister as he said he was being contacted by concerned MPS “on a daily basis”.
Stuart Andrew said there was “more that we need to explore” around second home ownership beyond the measures announced in the Queen’s Speech.
Residents who want to let out their homes as holiday lets would need to apply for specific permission from their council under one idea being pushed by the Liberal Democrats.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, part of legislation laid out by the Government last week, includes the ability for local councils to increase council tax on second homes.
Owners of second homes who do not rent out their properties would be hit with double council tax under the plans.
At housing questions yesterday, Tim Farron, the former Lib Dem leader, asked Mr Andrew if he would consider going further to stop communities being “hollowed out” by an increase in Airbnbs and second homes.
“It is vital that infrastructure is provided before development is allowed,” he said, urging Mr Andrew to “look again at the Bill” and commit to a new “change of use” requirement.
This would create a separate planning permission category and give councils power to allow or block second homes or holiday lets.
Mr Andrew replied that “the issue of second homes is something that I seem to be dealing with on a daily basis with colleagues from around the country”.
He added that in the Bill is “the ability for local councils to increase council tax” on second homes, but he thinks “there is more that we need to explore”.
Ministers are understood to be reluctant to adopt Mr Farron’s proposal over fears it could harm tourism in some parts of Britain. Tourism chiefs, MPS and residents will join “roundtable” discussions with Mr Andrew, who said he would listen to “all suggestions” but warned of unintended consequences.
Mr Farron, the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, told The Daily Telegraph: “So many places in the Lakes and the Dales and elsewhere in Cumbria just run the risk of dying out as communities because of a lack of a permanent population.”
“They just become holiday communities, and so you lose your school, you lose your bus service, you lose your pub, church and post office.”