Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, has written an essay as part of the think tank Bright Blue and the charity Shelter’s collection of essays ‘Home advantage: a new centre-right vision for housing’. Selaine Saxby’s contribution is one of 16 contributions from top MPs and thought leaders, including the Secretary of State for Housing.
Selaine’s contribution discusses how to control the number of holiday lets in a community through tax changes and a register. She calls for mortgage rate relief for short term holiday lets to be banned, alongside bringing the environmental standards for short term lets to the same high level as long term lets.
Her contribution also calls for the registration scheme of short term holiday lets brought in by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to be used to give communities more control over the number of short term lets, and ensure that any landlords looking to convert their properties to short term lets would have to apply to do so.
Selaine Saxby says:
“We are lucky in North Devon to live in such a beautiful location, and whilst we welcome the many tourists that come to visit our coastline we must ensure our housing market works for local families. Without affordable housing communities suffer, with businesses unable to recruit and people unable to live near to family and friends.
“When we have such a shortage of affordable housing we need to find ways to ensure that all new properties coming to the market are available to the people who work locally to live in.”
The cost of owning or renting a home is as high as ever. Our broken housing system is contributing to the economic and political malaise the UK has been experiencing recently. Fixing it should be one of the Government’s priorities.
The Rt Hon Michael Gove, Secretary of State, commented:
“Every single person in this country, no matter where they are from, what they do or how much money they earn, deserves to live in a home that is decent, safe, secure and affordable. Along with the campaigners and political colleagues who have contributed to this thoughtful collection of essays, I am more committed than ever to building a modern, radical and successful conservative housing policy that works for everyone, whether they rent or own.”
Selaine Saxby has also met with Housing Minister, Rachel Maclean MP, and written to North Devon Council with regards to planning applications coming through for green spaces such as the proposed development at Chilpark near Fremington. North Devon Council’s Local Plan is not currently valid as they have let the 5 year land supply slip.
Selaine Saxby says:
“At Westminster, I have worked to secure new legislation that will remove this requirement from local planning, but the legislation is still working its way through the parliamentary process, so I asked the Minister is there is anything that can be done to expedite it, or help local residents stop these developments on green field sites, not in the local plan.
I have personally written to North Devon Council opposing the Chilpark development and hope that they will resecure the Local Plan which is what helps prevent unwanted developments. Planning is a core function of North Devon Council – and it is therefore vital you vote in the local elections on May 4th as it is the elected representatives that have the power to influence these decisions.”
