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North Yorkshire to tackle rise in second homes with council tax

The seaside towns of Whitby and Scarborough will be among the first in England to double council tax on second homes to tackle the “blight” of holiday lets.

Councillors said the rise of Airbnb and other rental sites was “tearing the heart out of communities”, as they voted to introduce a 100% premium on owners of second homes in North Yorkshire.

In Whitby, about 28% of properties are holiday homes. Estate agents said that as many as three-quarters of new developments in the town were being sold as short-term lets or to investors.

The vote in Northallerton on Wednesday means North Yorkshire will become one of the first places in England to double council tax on second homes under the government’s levelling up the bill, which is going through parliament.

The earliest new council tax premium will take effect in April 2024 if the bill is passed into law by April next year.

Councils in Cornwall and other tourist hotspots are considering introducing the same charge. In Wales, local authorities have been given powers to quadruple council tax bills on holiday homes.

A meeting of the North Yorkshire county council was told on Wednesday that the proliferation of properties on sites such as Airbnb was “breaking up communities” and forcing out locals.

David Chance, a Conservative councillor, said the shortage of available homes meant there were 96 applications for each social housing property in Whitby.

He said there were only 11 permanent residents in Runswick Bay’s lower village, and the remaining properties were holiday lets or second homes.

“Whitby people cannot afford to purchase a home in their own town,” he said. “We’ve built many homes in Whitby recently, and they’ve all been snapped up by outsiders.

“A lot has gone to second homes; a lot have gone to holiday homes and holiday lets, and it’s tearing the heart out of communities. Our village communities are suffering greatly.”

Janet Jefferson, a North Yorkshire independent councillor, said she was dealing with “constant calls” from residents being evicted from properties that “have suddenly become holiday homes”.

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