When Parliament is not sitting (as is the case during August) the opportunity to catch up with loose-ends and explore more fully the reasons behind some of the pressures facing Cornwall and Scilly is most welcome. This includes some work with the Short-Term Accommodation Association (STAA) who are understandably concerned that, in attempting to address the lack of housing available as a principal residence in beautiful areas such as ours, Government policy drives away the holiday-let industry. I’m listening carefully to this concern because I recognise how important tourism is for West Cornwall and on Scilly and the last thing I want is to effectively say ‘not welcome here’. The weather over August will likely discourage visitors and I’ve no desire to add to this!
However, there is no denying that, for various reasons, including policy to improve the efficiency of long-term rental accommodation, significant numbers of once secure homes have been flipped to short-term holiday lets. Cornwall’s MPs have been leading the charge, ably supported by Devon MPs who are experiencing a similar pressure on local housing, not to curtail the holiday-let sector but to manage the ratio between the two. We know that when homes are not available, we can’t fill vacancies in West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance or St Mary’s Hospital on Scilly and there are numerous other jobs that are left vacant due to a lack of housing stock. Legislation currently dragging its heels through the Lords creates the opportunity of a council tax premium for second homes, a register for holiday accommodation and a planning requirement if you wish to flip a permanent residence into a second home, short term accommodation or for some other use. In the meantime, we are likely to see some correction of its own as it is my belief that we have now saturated the market with holiday lets in Cornwall and I suspect we will see houses back into homes as autumn draws in. This will not resolve the difficulties facing landlords and we should never underestimate our critical landlords are.
I regularly meet families who need secure housing but are either not in a position to own their own home or have no appetite to take on such a responsibility. I spent my entire childhood living in private rented accommodation, so I understand how important good landlords are and what insecure housing feels like. If there are landlords who would appreciate an opportunity to discuss with me the issues that tempt them to give up this vital task, please get in touch on 01736 363038 or [email protected].
