Whitby residents have voted in favor of new measures to reduce the number of homes used for holiday accommodation.
Big queues erupted outside polling stations as locals voted to end ownership of a second home in an unusual referendum on Monday, with a total of 2,228 people voting.
A significant number of 2,111 votes in favor of restricting all newly built and additional housing in the area to being a full-time primary residence.
Only 157 voted against the measure and 18 ballots were rejected, it was announced at midnight.
By 2021, about 20% of Whitby residences were second homes or vacation rentals, according to Scarborough City Council.
The figure has almost doubled in the coastal town in the last two decades, with 8.1% of properties being second homes or tourist rentals in 2001.
Social media users have been reacting to the results of the poll, with one person tweeting: “Good for Whitby. Premises need affordable housing and if the city is flooded with wealthy Londoners, real estate will not be affordable and the premises will move “.
Another said, “Power to residents. Too many local coastal towns are being flooded by COMPANIES buying houses for rent.”
Residents were asked a second question in the poll, prompting 1,982 people who rejected plans to remain on the same area committee as Scarborough on the new North Yorkshire Unitary Council.
This compares to 253 residents who were happy to remain on the same area committee as Scarborough.
The results of the vote, which had a turnout of just under 23%, have no legal weight, but represent the views of the population and could help shape local planning considerations with a mandate to crack down on property. of second residence.
Whitby City Councilwoman Linda Wild told Sky News that the result “demonstrates the importance of this issue to the local population and the depth of the feeling of being left out of the home.” affordable for an overabundance of second homes and holiday rentals that can be found in the hands of unscrupulous landlords. “
He said that the competence to address the problem lies with the council – which is trying to deal with the problem – as well as with the government, “which must modify the town planning regulations to allow the protection of local housing as a main residence”.
“We need a ‘class of use’ that applies to holiday rentals. Then planners can manage this change of use. We also need to tax second homes and holiday homes more effectively through municipal tax and commercial rates to reflect the impact they have on the local. people, “he said.
He said he hoped the council would “start this fight and invite our neighboring parishes to join”.
“For holidaymakers, Whitby is bigger than the parish boundary. I hope the people of Sandsend, Sleights, Sneaton and Stainsacre feel it’s a campaign for them too,” he continued.
“Whitby is not the only one in this situation and the local people want the government to make their voices heard alongside the people of Cornwall, North Norfolk, Northumberland and the Lakes.
“We absolutely need the government to give the local people the power to keep the tourism communities sustainable.”