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10
Oct 2024
Council ‘powerless’ to cap number of holiday homes in North Yorkshire
This is the fourth and final article in a series looking into the shortage of affordable homes and rental properties in and around Pateley Bridge.
North Yorkshire Council has admitted it is unable to limit the amount of holiday homes.
The Stray Ferret has been investigating the lack of affordable homes and residential properties in Pateley Bridge and surrounding Nidderdale villages, which has been attributed to the increasing number of holiday lets.
George Collinson, who moved to Nidderdale from North Wales last year, struggled to find a property in the area. He told the Stray Ferret there is “barely even a rental market” in the area, and felt they only managed to secure their cottage near Fellbeck due to how remote it is.
Mr Collinson feels the number of holiday lets is outweighing the number of affordable and rental homes around the Pateley Bridge area, and told the Stray Ferret a cap on the number of properties used as short-term rentals should be capped.
We put this to North Yorkshire Council, which governs all housing matters across the Harrogate district and the wider county. It is currently in the process of drawing up a county-wide local plan, which will set out where development can take place.
Specifically, we asked the authority if it has ever considered or implemented a cap on the number of holiday lets in and around Pateley Bridge.
The council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, gave a brief response:
We do not have powers to cap the number of holiday lettings in a given area.
The Stray Ferret also asked the council if it agrees there is a shortage of both rental and affordable homes in the area, as well as whether the authority agrees the needs of tourists can be favoured over Pateley Bridge residents – which Mr Collinson suggested could be the case.
Mr Harne said:
We agree that affordability is a significant issue across North Yorkshire.
Finally, we asked the council if it has any plans to earmark Pateley Bridge as a site to introduce more affordable housing.
Mr Harne added:
Through our adopted housing strategy and related policies, we are committed to working with our partners to increase the number of affordable homes built to meet local need.
The new Labour government’s ambitious housing plans – to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years – have meant the process has been delayed.
But the plans will give an idea of how much housing could be built, and whether affordability can be tackled.
Julian Smith
‘There is a balance to be struck’, MP says
The Stray Ferret put similar questions to Sir Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, which Pateley Bridge and surrounding villages falls into.
The Tory MP recently wrote to deputy prime minister and housing minister, Angela Rayner, urging the government to reconsider potential plans to set the council an annual 4,232 housing target.
We asked Sir Julian, who has held the seat for 14 years, if he felt the number of holiday lets could be outweighing availability in the rural areas and whether this could be driving young people and families out of the area.
Sir Julian’s response, which was much lengthier than the council’s, cited data from the National Housing Federation, which revealed there are 8,081 second homes in North Yorkshire – the highest number across Yorkshire and the Humber.
However, he suggested North Yorkshire Council will be taking steps to tackle the problem:
It is important to acknowledge that second homeowners contribute to the local services they benefit from. Second homes are subject to council tax, regardless of occupancy.
Through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the previous government gave local authorities the power to impose a discretionary council tax premium of up to 100% on second homes starting from April 2025.
North Yorkshire Council will be implementing this full premium on all second homes liable for council tax from April 2025. In August, I met with chief executive Richard Flinton and council leader Cllr Carl Les to discuss the council’s initiatives on affordable housing and the use of funds from the second home premium.
The Stray Ferret also asked Sir Julian if he felt the shortage of affordable homes in the area was a problem – and whether restrictions should be imposed on the number of holiday lets.
The Tory MP said he supports the creation of a registration scheme for short-term lets, which would help local authorities regulate the number of properties let out in the area, adding:
I am pleased that the previous government laid the groundwork for this process. The current government is working on its implementation. A well-structured registration scheme will empower local authorities to take action against problematic short-term lets, addressing community concerns and benefiting the sector by curbing unethical practices.
There is a balance to be struck. While traditional short-term holiday lets provide economic benefits, supporting tourism and boosting the local economy, it is also crucial to recognise the concerns of residents about the impact that a high concentration of these lets can have on housing availability and affordability.
Sir Julian said he is committed to "preserving the heritage of villages like Pateley Bridge", but added:
Additionally, small development in rural areas, like Pateley Bridge, is essential to sustaining local amenities such as village schools, pubs, and shops, which might otherwise face closure. Further, small developments provide opportunities for local young people and families to get on the property ladder and find rental options.
I encourage Pateley Bridge residents who are concerned about a lack of affordable rental homes or the number of holiday lets to contact me directly via my email, julian.smith.mp@parliament.uk, as I am happy to raise their concerns with council executives and government ministers.
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