Government looking at giving Cumbrian planning authorities the power to limit second homes, Minister tells Tim Farron
On the floor of the House of Commons this afternoon, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron secured a commitment from the Minister for Housing to consider giving councils and national park authorities in Cumbria the power to restrict the number of second homes in the area.
Last year, the previous government consulted on creating a new planning use class for short-term lets, but stopped short of proposing the same for second homes.
During the last Parliament, Tim put forward an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to introduce a separate category of planning use for second homes, but this was voted down by Conservative MPs by 321 votes to 172.
Speaking during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons, Tim said: “Towns and communities in my constituency like Coniston, Hawkshead, Pooley Bridge, and a whole range of other beautiful places have so many second homes that up to 85% of the properties are not lived in for most of the year, meaning those communities are under very serious threats, as to whether they could survive at all.
“So the government has done a number of things, including, of course, talking about short term lets being a separate category of planning use.
“Would, however, the Minister agree to look at making second homes also a separate category of planning use so that we can prevent these beautiful places becoming ghost towns?
Responding, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. As he will know, the previous government consulted on making short term lets a different use class - it didn't consult on second homes becoming a different use class.
“As part of our wider consideration of what additional powers we might give local authorities, I'm more than happy to have a conversation with him. I understand the pressures in his particular part of the world are particularly acute when it comes to both second homes and short term lets.”