That's the question a new report from the Borough Council is attempting to shed some light on.
A new report into the prevalence of second homes and holiday lets in the Scarborough Brough is suggesting further research is carried out to determine if a borough wide local residency scheme is appropriate.
Such a scheme would give local people priority over local homes.
Borough council Planning Policy Manager - Steve Wilson - says there is a balance to be struck.
As we reported yesterday the new report has found that while in some parts of the borough as much as 20 percent of housing is currently used for holiday lets or second homes, in other areas it's below 1 percent.
A ‘Primary Residence Scheme’ is described as
"a planning policy intervention that restricts new housing delivered to be available for primary residence occupation only; i.e. such properties covered by the policy could not be bought for the purposes of a second home or used as a holiday let. "
The report states:
"There are large areas of the Borough where the prevalence of second homes and holiday lets is low and of little to no consequence.
In those areas with a higher concentration of second homes and/or holiday lets the research is not conclusive and there is the potential that a planning interventions could have a range of consequences. Most notably including a reduction in the provision of affordable homes.
A single ‘Primary Residence only’ planning policy covering the entire Local Plan area may prove difficult to navigate through the local plan process based on the work carried out to date and the subsequent findings, alternative and more targeted policy options can be explored.
Further work should continue to take place as part of the Local Plan review to determine if such a policy should be implemented and if so, the areas and/or development types that should be covered by such a policy"
The borough Council's Planning Policy Manager - Steve Wilson - says introducing a primary residency scheme is not something that many other council's have tried.
The new report presented to councillors on the planning committee last week has looked at both the prevalence of second homes and holiday lets in the borough but has also looked at whether the planning system can effectively restrict second home-ownership or holiday lets.
The report says that this has:
"involved evidence collation and the consideration of the implications for such a policy, taking cues from where they have been implemented or
considered in other parts of the UK.Few such schemes (policies) have been implemented to date and where they have, they have often been through neighbourhood plans.
Neighbourhood Plans can be prepared by town and parish councils (or other groups in non-parished areas), and form part of the overall development plan, thereby having weight in the determination of planning applications in that locality."
"It is important to note that under the current Planning Legislation the planning system cannot influence the occupancy of existing properties and can only control applications for new residential development. "
The full report can be found here Second Homes and Holiday Lets
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