Second homes should face huge taxes to force 'townies' out of the countryside says former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion



Sir Andrew Motion has called for increased taxes to stop second-home owners 'gutting' rural communities

President of the CPRE said too many rural homes being snapped up by 'townies' who only visit at weekends



Harsher taxes should be introduced to stop 'townies' buying second homes in the countryside and 'gutting' rural communities, the head of the Campaign to Protect Rural England has said.

Former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion - who took over as president of the CPRE last year - said the tax on second homes should be ratcheted up to discourage city workers from snapping up countryside properties to use as weekend retreats.

He said too many second home owner fail to contribute to the life of rural communities and simply 'scoot down' for the weekend before returning to London 'in time to catch the 10 o'clock news on Sunday night'.

'Townies': Too many owners of countryside holiday homes don't contribute to the life of rural communities, Sir Andrew Motion has said

'I would increase taxes on second homes to make it very expensive,' he told the Times.

'I think there's a question about whether second homes mean you have inert dormitory communities in the countryside through most of the week, very often lived in my people who scoot down in their cars, see their smart friends, don't join in the life of the community and don't feed into it,' he said.

Rural life: The former poet laureate said taxes on second homes should be boosted to discourage city workers from snapping up rural properties

The latest census figures show that more than 165,000 people in the UK own a second home for weekends and holidays.

Cornwall was revealed as the country's second-home capital - with almost 23,000 people listing a Cornish address away from their main home where they could be found for a month or more each year.

St Ives MP Andrew George wants to see the council given authority to block second home owners altogether to ensure more Cornish homes stay in the hands of local owners.

Campaign: The MP in St Ives, Cornwall, wants the council to have the power to block outsiders from buying property to use for weekends and holidays

Mr George has called for the introduction of a class of 'non-permanent occupancy' for homes, meaning people buying houses to use as a holiday property would have to declare it and seek permission.

Permanent residents in the tourist hotspot say the area's popularity with city workers seeking second homes is pushing the price of housing out of the reach of local workers on comparatively lower wages.

'Local authorities need the power to curb the sheer volume of properties being transferred from family homes to holiday homes,' he said.

Other parts of the UK with high concentrations of holiday homes include Gwynedd in North Wales, North Norfolk, and the Lake District.









