More details on plans to tackle second home crisis in Wales
"There is no one silver bullet" - Minister
Some Welsh Councils could require planning applications for second homes or more holiday lets under proposals by the Welsh Government to tackle the second homes crisis.
The Welsh Climate Change Minister Julie James has revealed details of a pilot scheme to tackle the impact second home ownership and short-term holiday lets are having on some Welsh communities.
Speaking in the Senedd, the Minister said Dwyfor in Gwynedd had been chosen for a pilot which will launch in January.
"welcoming nation"
Julie James said:
“We want young people to have a realistic prospect of buying or renting affordable homes in the places they have grown up so they can live and work in their local communities.
“High numbers of second and holiday homes in one area can threaten the Welsh language in its heartlands and affect the sustainability of some rural areas.
“We are a welcoming nation and tourism is a major part in our economy bringing jobs and income to many parts of Wales.
"Ghost villages"
“But we don’t want ghost villages in seasonal holiday spots – places where no one’s at home in the winter months.
“These are complex issues and there are no quick fixes. What may be right for one community may not work for another. We will need to bring forward a range of actions, there is no one silver bullet here!”
In addition, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles announced the launch of a consultation on additional measures tailored specifically for those communities in which the Welsh language is widely spoken.
Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said:
“We want our Welsh-language communities to continue to be economically viable places for local people, especially young people, to live and work and where the Welsh language and culture can thrive.
“While there are no easy answers, I am confident the interventions proposed today will go a long way to addressing our objective of ensuring that people in Welsh-speaking communities can afford to live in the communities in which they grew up.”