No controls on new homes

Rye’s Neighbourhood Plan (RNP) is not going to propose a limit on new homes so that they can only be for those who will occupy them as their principal, or primary, residence, despite concerns about growing numbers of second homes and holiday homes in the town.

The town council had asked the RNP’s Steering Group (RNSPG) to consider whether the existing draft policy on providing more affordable housing for families, first time buyers and properties for older “downsizers” could be strengthened.

The Neighbourhood Plan will be subject to a local referendum to approve it (hopefully this year) but consultations on the draft with Rother District Council, the local planning authority, are being delayed because now a second key planning officer has moved to a job elsewhere.

In Cornwall and Devon various holiday towns and parishes have been looking at the availability of affordable housing to meet local needs as the popularity of some destinations has resulted in sharp price rises. This has been caused by houses being bought as second homes, holiday lets or housing for seasonal staff.

One in particular, St Ives (including Carbis Bay) in Cornwall, has adopted in its Neighbourhood Plan a policy to restrict new open market housing to those buying it as a principal residence. The residents voted for this and it is now in place despite a legal challenge.

St Ives is one of the top five settlements in Cornwall with the highest proportion of second homes and holiday lets, and in 2011 a quarter of homes were not occupied by resident households. Salcombe and Padstow are other examples from the West Country of seaside areas facing similar problems. They may be buzzing at the height of summer, but they can be dire and forlorn in winter months with little life.

However in Rye it is calculated that there are some 200 second homes and buy to lets, some 8% of the total stock of around 2,500.

According to the Rye Bay Guide the town now has five hotels, ten B&Bs and guesthouses, and five self catering lets for holidaymakers, while on the internet various claims are made about the number of available properties for holidays and breaks – though,on investigation, some prove to be in Hastings or further afield.

Popular bed and breakfast and holiday accommodation website, Airbnb claims it has nine available properties in Rye.

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