Agenda item

As Members had expressed an interest in understanding the LGA’s activity around second homes, Rebecca Cox, Principal Policy Adviser, introduced the paper, which set out some of the key issues.

At a previous meeting, comments from Members included:

·       Members had expressed the wish to undertake work around second homes and ongoing challenges.

·       A lack of data made it difficult to understand the impact of second homes and holiday lets on the housing market.

·       Members felt they lacked the appropriate tools and powers to have any control over that part of the housing market.

·       In a meeting to discuss short-term lets convened by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, there was a strong agreement from councils and businesses that a registration scheme would be a positive way forward, to ensure that health, safety, and fire regulations were in place and being followed correctly.

·       The LGA has been approached by Localis with a proposal for a project on Community Land Trusts (CLTs).

The Chair invited Jonathan Werran, Chief Executive of Localis, to address the meeting. Key points included the following:

·       The proposal looks at the effectiveness of Community Land Trusts.

·       Research from the project will be launched in the summer.

·       Four key areas of interest: the lack of risk capital or professional expertise for community groups and the sporadic nature of help; the expense of land itself as an issue and the necessity of high grant rates and the need for cross-subsidies; affordable rents; and the role in planning in local plans.

·       The work will review how the housing market works for first-time buyers, renting in tourist hotspots and how it differs from other parts of the country.

·       There is a practical case study from East Cambridgeshire Council concerning using mainstream political rhetoric to support community-led developments.

Members made the following comments:

·       A Member believed the current methodology for calculating affordability was often distorted, particularly in the areas with second homes, as there are many new residents with high pensions. He proposed an alternative measure, aimed at people between the ages of 20 and 35, reviewing how many of them could afford to buy within their area of choice.

·       Another Member believed the scope of our understanding of key workers, citing fishermen as a key example, should be widened.

·       There was a view that the more councillors can understand current pressures, then the more they can review what powers might be needed to regulate this space as well as protecting residents.

·       Jonathan Werran said the work could widen in scope to look at the distorting impact and role of the private rental market and maybe try to determine what is causing such distortion.

Recommendation:

Board Members commented on the LGA’s policy work to date; shared their views on second homes data and agreed to fund Localis’ Community Land Trust proposal.