WITH its sweeping bay and golden sands, Newport in Pembrokeshire is a magnet for holidaymakers in the summer months.
But the resort’s natural beauty is also proving increasingly popular with those looking for a second home – and locals say it turns their area into a “ghost town” for the rest of the year.
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They complain that the demand for holiday homes has priced them out of the price housing market in their place of residence and made it impossible to find work outside the busy holiday period.
It is estimated that almost half of the homes property in the seaside town is now in the hands of second homeowners.
A councillor, who declined to be named, said locals could no longer afford the “sky-high” asking prices houses in the area.
He said: “People used to go fishing here for a living, but nowadays that has all ended and housing for local people is a big problem.
“The average price of a double room around here is approaching half a million pounds and not many locals can afford that.
“I think the problem is the planning system. Not enough priority is given to local families, who often have low incomes and no savings.
“A new construction project of 35 new homes was recently built here, 14 of which had to be put on the rental market. But of the other 21 houses, more than half have been bought by out-of-towners who want them as second homes.
“So now those properties will be rarely occupied for most of the year. It turns the place into a ghost town.”
Another resident, David Vaughan, an 80-year-old retired urban planner, said: “House prices are high here.
“That’s because it’s popular in the summer and there isn’t much space to build new houses.
“But this is also a planning problem in that the needs of the local population are not taken into account more carefully.
“I know this from my own experience, because my daughter, who lives nearby, would love to buy her own house, but has to look for social housing instead, because that’s all she can afford – and even that’s not cheap.
“The result is that people who want to work here can’t afford to live in the area, so they move away. It’s a vicious circle. The local pubs, restaurants and shopkeepers are all complaining that they find it incredibly difficult to recruit.”
Shaun Morris, 23, was born and raised in Newport and works in a convenience store in the city center. He said: “I live in a rented house with my sister and it costs £700 a month.
“I have a girlfriend and hope to settle down one day, but there is a shortage of social housing and I have no hope that we can get our own house and continue to live in Newport.
“There’s certainly no chance I could ever afford to buy a house here – how could I ever save hundreds of thousands of pounds on my wages?
“Half the houses here are second homes and the owners usually only come during the holiday season. The rest of the time it’s dead here. It’s heartbreaking to see so many houses empty.”
Local artist Neil Croucher, 54, who runs an arts and crafts shop in the city, said: “I love Newport but I can’t afford to live here. It’s way too expensive so I have to go for about half an hour to ride.
“Our gallery sells work from 22 local artists, but very few of them actually live in the city. Like me, they must live miles away.
“In the low season it is very quiet in the store, but on special days such as Christmas and Mother’s Day we do get locals who come to buy something.
“The three bed house in Aberporth that my wife and I are renting costs almost £900 a month.
“I studied here in Mid Wales and always wanted to live in Newport. Back then you could buy a run-down cottage for around £20,000, but now they are unaffordable.”
A café-restaurant owner who declined to be named said he and his wife spent months looking for a new chef. “When we finally found one, he pulled out at the last minute because he couldn’t find or afford a place to live,” the boss said.
Katie Morris, 25, who works as a teaching assistant at the local primary school, said: “Me and my brother were born and raised in Newport and lived in this two-bedroom house with our mother until she recently moved to live with her partner.
“Fortunately she registered us here so we can stay. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to live in Newport because there are so few social housing available. The waiting list is huge..
“We’re both in relationships, but if we wanted to leave and start our own family, god knows where we’d end up. It certainly wouldn’t be in the city we’ve lived in all our lives.”
David Fernan, 32, lives with his wife and three children in a two-bedroom council house on the outskirts of the city.
“There are another 20 homes next to us that are privately owned – most of them belong to second homers.
“We were lucky enough to get this house when it was built a few years ago, but we’ve had two more kids since then and it’s not really suitable.
“But I don’t think we can find a bigger place around here because there’s a long waiting list, so we’d probably have to leave the area. We don’t want to do that as it would most likely upset the children and they are very happy at the local school.
“Our two eldest have to share a bedroom, but my son is ten and my girl is eight, so that’s not suitable right now.
“Our baby, who is one, sleeps with us.
“I’m currently unemployed, so I get to play the role of a father, which is great, but money is very tight.”
A year and a half ago, more than 150 activists against second home ownership in West Wales gathered for a protest in Newport.
They said owning a second home in the county was pricing local people out of the real estate market.
This has been announced by the Welsh Government Wales is the only UK country where local authorities have the power to double the council tax rates on such properties.
The campaigners said the average price of a three-bedroom house in the town had passed the £400,000 mark, compared to the Pembrokeshire average of £227,000.
Rally organizer Hedd Ladd-Lewis, who grew up in Newport, said the area’s housing market was “out of control” and locals had “no hope” of living in their own communities.
He said: “Newport is a perfect example of what is happening all along the West Wales coast.
“Young people have no chance of living in their own communities. The median house price in Newport is £350,000, so what hope do young families who want to stay in their communities have?
“Something needs to be done so that everyone has the right to live in their community.”
The Pembrokeshire council became the third authority in Wales – after Gwynedd and Swansea – to impose the maximum council tax on second home owners and said it would use the levy to build more affordable homes.
Mr Ladd-Lewis said the move was a “step in the right direction” but called for further action.
He said: “It will not address the main problem, which is a lack of housing for the local population. We are being pushed out.”
“Anyone who wants a second home has to apply for a building permit so we can monitor the percentage of second homes in a given community.”
The Welsh Government has also increased the higher rate of Land Transaction Tax, which applies when people buy an additional home.
“We are also working at a rapid pace to implement sustainable solutions to complex problems,” said a spokesperson. “This includes a commitment to build 20,000 new, low-carbon homes for social rent over the next five years.”
It is not the first time that beautiful villages have been ruined by wealthy buyers claiming properties.
Neighbors inside Wells Next The Sea feared the picturesque Norfolk hotspot could become a ghost town in a few years due to “wealthy southerners” gobble up real estate for vacation houses.
Meanwhile, residents of the scenic West Sussex village known as the ‘Venice of England’ have been left in a rage by the rich Londoners who have bought a second home – only to leave it empty for years.
In addition, the village of Stock in Essex has become known for its “snobbish” reputation and expensiveness characteristics.
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