High ownership of second homes putting pressure on North Yorkshire businesses
There are concerns about 'ghost towns' across the county
Last updated 15th Nov 2022
We are hearing that high ownership of second homes in Filey is putting pressure on local businesses.
It is as there are concerns about 'ghost towns' on the Yorkshire Coast.
Today we are looking into empty second homes and how it affects those living by the seaside.
We told you yesterday about spiralling property prices are pushing people out of the coast.
This week North Yorkshire County Councillors will decide whether to charge a 100% premium on more than 8,000 empty homes in the county.
Andrew Jenkins, Chairman of Filey Tourism and Trade Association, said: "Filey has a very high second home ownership these days and that's putting pressure on local businesses. They have to make the very best of it through the summer so they're able to survive over the winter particularly with the cost of energy at the moment.
"Small businesses such as butchers, small grocery shops and places like that are struggling because of the energy price hikes. A friend sent me a quotation for her 80-seat restaurant and her energy bill for next year has gone from between ÂŁ6,000 to ÂŁ7,000 a year to over ÂŁ30,000 a year and that's not sustainable.
"There's quite large housing areas on the periphery of Filey which are fully residential and that's good, but the very centre of Filey is very much owned by second homeowners and holiday lets which does have an impact, because if they're not in use then there's no footfall into town and then there's no footfall into the shops.
"I think the double council tax is a start. I don't think it'll have much of an impact for the simple reason that if you can afford a second home, you can afford the second set of council tax. Yes it'll raise money for the area, which is important, and it'll help support local services and things like that but, it won't have a big impact on second homeownership in the area more unaffordable because of the nature of bonuses, people coming from further away and buying second properties here, it won't have an impact.
"We're in Flixton and we're seeing properties being bought as holiday lets. It's a ripple from Filey and in terms of Filey itself, a lot of the second homes are operated as holiday lets so it does bring people and spending into the town but, some of that spending leaves because the properties are owned by people away from the area."