Pressure is increasingly on the Government to speed up its planned holiday homes legislation after a Whitby council study has round that nearly half the town’s homes are either second homes or holiday lets.

The study, which is part of the council’s Neighbourhood Plan, reveals the shocking figures. In 2011, 19.5% of Whitby’s 7,951 dwellings were ‘not primary’ residences. By 2024, that number had grown to 3,275 or 44.5% of its housing stock.

We’re losing residential properties that people in Whitby can afford to buy or rent”

Local councillor Neil Swannick (main image), told local radio station, This is the Coast: “It’s just not stopping,” adding, “We’re losing residential properties that people in Whitby can afford to buy or rent”.

Swannick then took his concerns over the survey’s findings to local MP Alison Hume, who said she was ‘shocked but not surprised’ and promised to raise the matter with Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook.

He told her the Government was looking at ’all the options’ with a view to giving local authorities ‘all the power they need.’

Hume also discussed the issue with the Minister for Tourism, Chris Bryant, who confirmed it was also on his agenda but declined to give a timeline.

Growing clamour

It comes as councils up and down the country have been adding their voices to the growing clamour for more control over second homes and holiday lets.

In North Yorkshire, for example, the council is calling for local authorities to be given the power to restrict new home ownership to local people.

Pembrokeshire Council has raised council tax for them by 200% in holiday hotspots, and in Cornwall MPs are calling for a specific ‘Airbnb Bill’ to control the spread of holiday lets.