Just before Christmas the Government made an announcement that it had created a fund to help those areas will a high number of second-homes. The funding is allocated between local authorities proportionate to the number of holiday homes in the local area and taking account of the affordability of housing to local people.The amount of money available nationally is £60m. From this pot, Cornwall Council will receive £5,117,980.

Whilst I welcome this money, it is not really going to deal with the issue of second-homes. I long campaigned for any second-home or holiday-let to require planning permission before it could change from full-time occupation. In this campaign, I submitted a Motion to Cornwall Council which was fully supported to ask the Government to change the planning rules. Details of that Motion can be found HERE. Yet the Government dismissed the Council’s Motion and letter (blogs on second-homes HERE).

How can the £5m allocated to Cornwall Council be spent? In essence, the fund will enable local community groups deliver affordable housing units of mixed tenure on sites which are likely to be of little interest to mainstream house-builders. Being honest, getting developers to build is not a problem, the problem is what happens to those open market dwellings after they are built.

Furthermore, in the Governments own words, this funding will “contribute to the overall national effort to boost housing supply.”

From the Government’s message, it seems to tackle second-homes is to build more housing. This will not solve the problem. The problem can be mitigated against if there was a change to planning legislation. For instance, you cannot change a business unit into a home without planning permission. The same rule should apply for both second-homes and holiday-lets.

You may remember in the previous incarnation of Cornwall Council a motion was passed to lobby the Government for a change in planning legislation which would require planning consent if a dwelling wishes to be used as a holiday let, or second home. The aim of this legislation is to bring in some control into Cornwall’s housing issues.

Letters were sent to the six Cornish MP’s, the Minister whose responsibility planning comes under, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister asking them to bring in this new legislation after it has been fully investigated.

To date, only two of Cornwall’s MP replied to the original letter. I am grateful to Dan Rogerson and Stephen Gilbert for their responses, and to Andrew George for his correspondence via email. It is very disappointing that the other three MP’s did not see fit to reply on this very important issue.

I am also grateful to Dan Rogerson for chasing the Minister for a response. The Council received this response on the 9th May via Dan Rogerson’s office. In that letter:

As you can see, the Minister is not supportive of the change in legislation, and sadly gives no real alternatives to helping address this issue raised by the Council. The only alternative given by the Minister, and one that really worries me, is to build more houses!

Yes, you could build more houses, but without any legislation, many of these new dwellings could be used as second homes and/or holiday lets. Which just adds to the pressure onto Cornwall’s housing. Furthermore, what happens when you run out of land to build on?

It is clear the Governments view on addressing the housing issue in Cornwall is to build more houses.

Inline with Cornwall Council’s decision to lobby Government seeking a legislative change to planning policies that would require the planning consent being sort and given if someone wanted to change a dwelling into either a second home and/or holiday let.

I am pleased to say letters have been sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister responsible for planning and the six MP’s representing Cornwall.

In these letters, it gives a clear indication where new planning rules could be introduced. These rules are workable as senior planning officers at Cornwall Council have been involved with making sure they are. The possible policy changes have also had the input from those planning experts in the private sector (thanks Paul).

The letters have been signed by all the Political Group Leaders at Cornwall Council, Portfolio Holder for Housing and me. Let’s hope the council gets a positive response from all the Cornish MP’s but more importantly, the Government. As they are the only body that can make these changes.

And here is the second half of the list of Parishes with second homes and holiday lets:

It should be noted there are some second home and holiday lets without valid postcodes and their numbers are:

Here is the first of two blogs on the number of second homes and holiday lets. The first one is on the top 100 parishes with the most:

After the success in getting Cornwall Council to lobby the Government to bring in legislation that would bring some control into the housing market (it will still be a long process); I have been asked for more detail than the actual top 10 areas with the most second homes/holiday lets. And here is those details by Cornwall Council’s Electoral Divisions:

Next by Parish

Let’s forget about the Budget for a minute, though it is hard knowing the stinging cuts to be administered because people wanted to play politics and look at the motion on holiday homes/second homes.

To refresh yourself, the wording and possible outcomes are HERE.

I will again make it perfectly clear this is not an attack on second homes or holiday lets that some have tried to portray. This is, and only is about trying to bring in some control into an unregulated market; which is having an effect on our communities.

Currently Cornwall as of November 2012, has 8,348 holiday lets and 14,446 second homes, making a total of 22,794 dwelling. This is out of a housing stock of 259,346. These numbers have steadily increased and is roughly a rise of about 20 per cent* over the past decade. This trend is continuing with 21% of dwelling in the South West in the 2nd homes/holiday let category.

In 47 out of 211 Parishes, the number exceeds 20% of housing stock. eight have over 40%, three have over 50% and one has 59% of housing stock currently available.

There are impacts on sustainability backed up by previous reports** have suggested that where second homes comprise more than 20% the sustainability of that community can be significantly harmed. It also Impact on house prices, have Economic, Environmental and Social and cultural impacts.

Cornwall is not alone, other areas and local authorities face similar and in places greater numbers. Some of these are: London, Cumbria, North Norfolk, Scarborough, West Sussex to name but a few. So there is common ground on this, and hopefully local authorities can work together to achieve something.

I am very pleased to say the Motion was supported by all but 5 Councillors present at the meeting. I am also thankful to the supporters of the Motion, Councillors Julian German, Graham Walker, Dick Cole and Andrew Long.

Now, the various department at Cornwall Council will work together in producing a details and evidence based report that shows something needs to be done before it is too late. It would be good if any public would like to add to the debate, both in the benefits and negatives, then please drop me an email.

Let’s hope the Government will listen this time. I also look forward to hearing from the six Cornish MP’s and I will be asking for their support in getting back some sort of control into our communities.

*In the 2006/2007 Survey of English Housing. **The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing 2008 and Affordable Rural Housing Commission 2006