The North York Moors National Park Authority has voiced its support for a plan by North Yorkshire County Council to double council tax bills on second homes throughout the county from April 2024.
Earlier this month, members of North Yorkshire County Council voted in favour of introducing the charge once the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill has been passed through parliament. It is hoped the move will bring a proportion of second homes back into the market for long-term residents and local communities, as well raise much-needed finance for the provision of more affordable homes.
The vote came in the same week that Officers from the National Park Authority attended a rural housing summit with the North Yorkshire Rural Taskforce, which aimed to highlight the need for more affordable housing through working in partnership with estate owners and land agents in the region.
Tom Hind, Chief Executive of the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
“We will always welcome people who wish to enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the North York Moors and a thriving holiday let market helps that to happen. However, as a National Park Authority, we also have a responsibility to ensure that future generations can afford to live and work here.
“North Yorkshire’s Rural Commission recently labelled the younger generation as effectively ‘missing’ from our rural villages, and our evidence bears this out. As part of the National Park’s new Management Plan, we have committed to doubling the delivery of affordable housing in the North York Moors. However, with more of our existing housing stock ending up as second homes, we are swimming against the tide.
“We welcome the introduction of a council tax premium on second homes, but we’d also like to see the government go further and help us control the conversion of existing local housing into second or holiday homes.”
According to the 2011 census, 17.3 per cent of the housing stock in the North York Moors National Park contained no permanent resident. This represents a 37% increase over 2001 levels. In some parishes, this figure was much higher. In the Parish of Lythe, which includes Sandsend, it was 41.3%, whilst the figure was 39.3% in the parish of Fylingdales, which includes Robin Hood’s Bay.
Speaking after the rural housing summit, which was held at the Hovingham Estate on Thursday 17 November, Chris France, Director of Planning at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
“The National Park’s Management Plan sets a goal of building 100 new affordable homes in villages across the National Park by 2027 and establishing the North York Moors as a leader in low-cost, low-carbon, housing design.
“For this to happen, we as the planning authority must work closely with landowners and communities to ensure that proposed new projects meet local needs while remaining sensitive to the extraordinary landscapes and heritage that make us what we are.
“Protecting the special qualities of the North York Moors will always be fundamental to our responsibilities as a National Park Authority. However, if our local communities and economies are to survive, then we must provide affordable housing for future generations.”
The North York Moors National Park Authority has a longstanding policy in place which allows affordable homes to be built on the edge of villages if they are needed by the community and fit with the local landscape.
Landowners or Parish Councils that wish to see new affordable homes in their communities on such Rural Exception Sites, or who think they may know of a potential site, are encouraged to contact the National Park’s Planning Department for further information and advice.
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