Outrage over ‘stomach churning’ second homes sales pitch
Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter
Three councillors are objecting to a “stomach churning” promotion of Anglesey and Gwynedd homes as “perfect investments to maximise profits.”
As the holiday and second homes debate rages across Wales, an advertising promotion in the July copy of Shropshire Living magazine by Menai Holidays has sparked a new row.
It features advice on how to buy holiday property in popular coastal locations such as Beaumaris, Rhosneigr and Trearddur Bay, Abersoch, Harlech, Criccieth and Harlech.
Ynys Môn Seiriol ward councillors Cllr Carwyn Jones , Cllr Gary Pritchard and Cllr Alun Roberts, have jointly voiced concerns and are to write to the Welsh Government. about it.
It features advice on the ‘top seven places to buy a holiday let,” in North Wales, tips on “what customers are looking for”, and the importance of choosing the right spot. “The more popular the area the more income you can potentially make’ it reads.
In a joint statement, the councillors told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It has been brought to our attention about an article in the Shropshire Living Magazine. It promotes buying a home in Gwynedd or on Anglesey as a “perfect investment to maximise profits”.
Stomach churning
“In the preamble the article states: ‘It is important to ensure your investment will generate a considerable income’.”
“It then identifies locations in Gwynedd and Anglesey where this is possible.
“As councillors covering Beaumaris, we know all too well the vast amount of holiday lets that are already in the town, as each one gets bought for this purpose.
“It is one less property available for local people as a home, which would be lived in all year round.
“Local people who live in the town all year round, spend in the town all year round, and contribute to the life of the town, all year round.
“Seeing this type of blatant promotion encouraging investors from Shropshire to further dwindle the amount of properties available for local people is nothing less than stomach churning.
“We object to this blatant encouragement to dwindle the local housing stock here on Anglesey for investors from Shropshire to ‘maximise profits’ and request the practice is stopped with immediate effect.”
A spokesperson for Shropshire Living said the item was an advert booked by a client and declined. Menai Holidays were approached for comment.
Ynys Môn MS Rhun ap Iorwerth recently described the holiday let boom which emerged during the pandemic and has seen local people priced out of buying homes, as nothing less than a “crisis.”
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All we are to The English Establishment and their lackeys in the middle class is an opportunity to make money… but we needn’t feel special, that is what these locusts do to everything they see or like, find a way to milk it until its dead whilst maximising their financial investment… Its almost tragic for them as it is for the people whose lives are ruined by it because they destroy everything they love by doing this too. ….but then again, they aren’t the ones whose lives, culture, hopes and security is rent asunder by this despicable philosophy of “Monetize… Read more »
I don’t suppose this will be covered by the forthcoming British Bill of NO Rights. The most simple and basic right to live freely at reasonable cost in the area where you are born and raised must be protected against second class citizenship status imposed on us by the self entitled first class whose ill gotten gains were achieved our our expense.
AT our expense.
Second homes and the Holliday let investors are on the back foot across the nations of these Islands. From Trefor to Truro, Whitby to the Isle of Wight and Keswick to Kelso the winds of change are blowing. Young folk priced out, village schools and shops hit …..the media and the masters in Westminster are getting the message – late certainly but it’s working up the policy ladder 🪜 .
I’m curious to know what was the seventh seaside resort, as Harlech was mentioned twice. I’m guessing Aberdovey, as should permission be granted for the proposed 401 dwelling development to go ahead there could well be a feeding frenzy among the Salopians…go west and invest…and turn the political landscape blue while you are at it…
As I was told recently by a second home owner from Reading, “Wales is a region of our country and a pretty unimportant one at that”. Unless we wake up and smell the coffee we will be further devalued by those who see us as merely a weekend playground, with our only other value being as a source of wind power and water provision.
Was that second home owner still breathing when you left him/her ? Ample justification there for an abrupt termination of his/her miserable parasitic existence.
I truly hope that second home owner is floored by council tax premiums very soon, then we’ll see what he thinks of his “unimportant region”.
Yes, we must make financial intimidation a two way street. Keep on hiking the charges until they have to decide whether to sell one of their Porches, cut back on one of their six overseas holidays or shop at Primark instead of Harrods. In short, until it’s just not worth their while to bother bullying ordinary folk any longer.
Many of the second homes in Anglesey are owned by locals in Anglesey who have inherited them and turn them into holiday houses for retirement income. It’s a very quiet majority but doesn’t make good news compared to just blaming all outsiders
Many ? Please quantify. Your statement sets out to deflect from and minimize a serious problem. If natives owners are generating a bit of additional income from property at least that’s income that should be more likely to add to a local multiplier effect. Not the best of situations but a sight better than remote landlords just feeding off the island like vultures on a carcass. Those who have flocked in over recent years are here for a killing with very few exceptions if any.
Clearly the content of Shropshire Living Magazine should be approved by Cyngor Ynys Mon before publication.