Press Release
Local councils need powers to compulsory purchase underused houses after census shows 173,276 residents have holiday homes in the UK
7 November 2012
A holiday home that is only used for a few weeks a year is very different to a holiday home that is occupied for most of the year in terms of its economic benefits to any locality says GMB
GMB is calling for local authorities to be given powers to levy taxes on underused holiday homes and also to be able to compulsory purchase them in areas with acute housing need.
This follows the publication last month of the 2011 Census returns which showed that there were a total of 173,276 residents with a holiday home in one of the 12 regions of the UK. At the time of the 2011 Census, 165,095 residents had a holiday home within England & Wales that was for holiday use. There were also 8,181 residents with a second holiday address in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
In the South West region there were a total of 40,030 residents with a holiday home in the region. This was the highest number for any region in the UK. Of these 31,849 normally live outside the region. Next for the total number of residents with a holiday home in the region was Wales with 28,590, followed by South East with 25,710, Eastern with 20,090, Yorkshire and The Humber 14,515, North West with 14,275, East Midlands with 8,088, West Midlands with 5,040, London 4,660, and North East 4,097. The figures for each region are set out in the table below.
In Cornwall there were 10,169 residents from outside the area with a holiday home in the area. This is the highest for any area in England and Wales. Next was Gwynedd with 7,784, North Norfolk 4,842, South Lakeland 4,684, East Lindsey 4,472, Pembrokeshire 4,310 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,059, South Hams 3,738, Scarborough 3,697 and King's Lynn and West Norfolk with 3,539.
The figures for the top 45 areas in England and Wales (with 1,000 or more residents) are set out notes to editors below ranked from highest to the lowest and expressed as a ratio per 1,000 usual residents in the area. These are not estimates of the number of holiday homes in a local authority, as more than one person can record the same second address.
These figures come from a new analysis by GMB of the latest available data from the 2011 Census which was published on 22nd October 2012 for the number of residents with a holiday home in a local authority who are usually resident outside of that local authority. See Notes to Editors below for sources and definitions.
See GMB website at http://www.gmb.org.uk/ for regional press releases set out as pdfs as well as a pdf with the data for all 348 local council areas in England and Wales at the foot of this national release.
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WITH HOLIDAY HOMES BY REGION IN THE UK
|
|
Number of people who are usual residents in other regions with a second holiday address in the region |
|
|
UK |
173,276 |
|
|
England and Wales |
165,095 |
|
|
South West |
40,030 |
31,849 |
|
Wales |
28,590 |
22,322 |
|
South East |
25,710 |
18,027 |
|
Eastern |
20,090 |
12,309 |
|
Yorkshire and The Humber |
14,515 |
5,886 |
|
North West |
14,275 |
6,534 |
|
East Midlands |
8,088 |
4,967 |
|
West Midlands |
5,040 |
2,858 |
|
London |
4,660 |
3,708 |
|
North East |
4,097 |
1,938 |
|
Scotland and Northern Ireland |
8,181 |
*This is the number of residents with second homes in the region whether they live in the region or not.
Paul Kenny, GMB Regional Secretary, said, “There are 173,276 people who have holiday homes in the UK.
In many areas urgent action is needed to ascertain if properties used as holiday homes are actually in use at all. A holiday home that is only used for a few weeks a year is very different to a holiday home that is occupied for most of the year in terms of its economic benefits to any locality.
A holiday home that is used only a few weeks a year at a time when there are families in bed and breakfast accommodation gives rise to fundamental questions on the role and power of the local authority on the use of residential property in its area.
GMB consider that, under the Localism Act, local councils should have the power to levy taxation on underused holiday homes and other empty properties. In areas with acute housing need the question should be able to the raised in the council chamber as to whether underused houses should be subject to compulsory purchase.”
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