Scarborough and Whitby MP Backing Action on Holiday Home Numbers

Friday, 11 October 2024 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Scarborough and Whitby MP - Alison Hume - says she wants to be involved in shaping legislation that helps tackle the issues around the number of holiday homes in coastal towns.

Asked about what action she is taking to deal with the problems, the new MP said she has already been involved in Westminster debates on the issues.

Scarborough and Whitby's MP is calling on the government to speed up the introduction of a registration and licensing scheme for short term holiday lets.

Alison Hume says the balance between the number of holiday homes and the number of residential homes in coastal towns is out of kilter.

Speaking in a Westminster debate last month, Alison Hume asked the Government to “move at pace” to give councils new licensing and planning powers to address a lack of housing, especially on the Yorkshire coast.

Under Secretary for Housing - Rushanara Ali MP - said the government is considering "a full suite of options for the regulation of short term lets before making policy decisions"

But said they do want to give local authorities the tools to tackle short term lets where they are an issue.

There are more than 8,000 second homes in North Yorkshire, the highest number in the region, many of which are located on the coast, including in Whitby and Scarborough.

Earlier this year, the Conservative-led North Yorkshire Council voted to approve a 100 per cent premium for council tax bills on second homes in the county from April 2025.

The authority has said the tax could raise up to £16.5 million a year in additional revenue which could be put into building more affordable housing.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that the impacts of short-term letting were felt across the country with some councils reporting growth of between 30-52 per cent in short-term lets.

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