Plans agreed in principle to clamp down on number of holiday homes but more information needed

Katy Jenkins, local democracy reporter

More evidence and background information will be gathered before a decision is taken on whether to push Welsh Government to take action on holiday home restrictions.

Ceredigion County Council decided at its meeting of all members on Thursday (December 10) that more details were needed to “strengthen” a Notice of Motion calling for greater restrictions on the development of holiday homes.

Cllr Mark Strong, who out forward the motion, seconded by council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, agreed that he would be happy to defer for evidence to be gathered, adding that there were other authorities in Wales taking similar action.

The majority of councillors agreed with the principle that the requirement of planning permission to turn a home into a holiday let was supported, adding thresholds for a maximum number of holiday homes in an area and second homes owners requiring permission to turn properties into Air B&Bs or similar.

“We are all aware the trouble young people have in this county when it comes to buying a home, we’re also aware that even those that earn a decent amount of money they still have trouble getting on the housing ladder,” said Cllr Strong.

“This is common to the whole of west Wales where people buy houses that used to be family homes in order to turn them into second homes. If we want vibrant communities we need people to live in these houses throughout the year.”

 

‘Naïve’

Other councillors agreed that the impact on communities was negative as well as on the use of the Welsh language while also acknowledging that tourism was a positive, and necessity, for the local economy.

Cllr Ceredig Davies also questioned the timing of the motion, saying it was “naïve” to think it would not be viewed as a political action in Cardiff in the run up to next year’s Senedd election.

Reference to current planning laws and “flexibility” to permit houses to be built in support of a community, with Cllr Lyndon Lloyd referring to a recent development control decision to allow a local person to build in Llangrannog where there were around 70 per cent second homes.

More information will be brought to January’s full council.