That's all folks!

As we have failed in our efforts to find a new Chairman to run the Association, it will close with immediate effect. However, this website will continue to carry some information until 2009.
 

A 'Briefing Note' entitled SECOND HOMES AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEBATE  - THE FACTS, is available on the Information Page and will be updated on a regular basis.

We wish to thank all of our Members for their support over the past two years, particularly those who have made an active contribution.
Since 2006, we have responded to Reports from the Joseph Rowntree Trust, HRH Prince of Wales' Rural Housing Initiative, the Commission for Rural Communities, the Affordable Rural Housing Commission, the Lyons Inquiry, and most recently we have submitted evidence to the Matthew Taylor Review. We have tried to get these bodies to recognise that less than 1% of houses are second homes, that the shortage of affordable housing has been caused by rising prices due to, immigration, the Council House sell-off, and the increase in single person households, not second homes. We have recommended to the Government that they address the fundamental issues of how many affordable houses are needed, what kind of houses are needed, and where they are needed, before launching into a massive new build programme.
But, we have berated Local Authorities for reducing the Council Tax discount on second homes, and then refusing to spend the £100,000,000 this raises each year, on the affordable housing it was intended for.
Some media, such as the Telegraph and the Yorkshire Post, have always given us a fair hearing, whereas some newspapers need to dramatically improve the accuracy of the figures used when reporting on second homes. They should try researching Government statistics, rather than quoting rubbish research put out by estate agents looking for a headline.
The TV Companies love to have a go at second homeowners, but when Anglia called us 'villains' we decided that enough was enough. Amazingly, OFCOM saw little wrong with this, but did tell them off for the way that they did it.
Despite the pressure put on them by ill-informed media, and some self serving politicians, the Government have remained remarkably sensible throughout all the calls for them to treat second homeowners as villains, accurately stating that there are insufficient second homes for them to cause a problem.
We supported moves to control the housing situation in some tourist hot spots by the imposition of local occupancy restrictions on new builds. We also welcome the suggestion that planning permission should be needed for future change of use to a second home, but suspect that the locals will object to it. They don't want second homes, but they want the option to sell their property to the highest bidder, including a second homeowner!