Residents in a picturesque seaside village dubbed “Chelsea-on-Sea” have voted to ban people from buying second homes, after complaining the area is being “hollowed out” by Londoners flocking to buy holiday lets.
Burnham Market, where the average house price is now £1m, has been given the nickname because of the large proportion of Londoners with property there.
Outside peak season, residents say the village is left “hollowed out” because of the number of holiday homes left empty in the winter months.
A recent referendum in the Norfolk village has now seen locals overwhelmingly back a bid to limit the number of second homes and holiday lets.
More than 80 per cent supported the introduction of new measures to curb such properties, by putting conditions on all new developments. These require them to be “principal residences” and ban existing homes from being turned into holiday retreats.
The proposals only needed 50 per cent approval to come into force, but in reality, the final figure was much higher.
Dennis Clark, chairman of Burnham Market parish council, said: “It’s a positive move forward for the village because it is what the village wants.
“We don’t want to keep people away from Burnham Market, but we want to encourage lower-cost housing so that the people who work here can live here. We need young people to be able to stay here to keep the village vibrant.”
It is estimated that one in four properties in Burnham Market is a second home, and the population has fallen by more than a fifth in just two decades.
Residents have complained of family members being priced out of the area because of second homes, with Stephanie Worsley, 76, telling MailOnline: “My children have all grown up and moved away. There are families who need to be able to buy their own houses to be able to live in the village.
“It’s been a problem for a few years now. The prices have gone up because people who buy second homes can afford to pay for them.”
Another resident, 76-year-old Nina Plumbe, told the news site: “My daughter is 42 and lives in a three-bedroom rented cottage with four children. They can’t afford the homes around here. It’s become a crisis.”
A 2021 census revealed Burnham Market has 724 residents. Of them, some 635 people were eligible to vote in the village, with 201 casting their ballot – a turnout of 32 per cent. In total 161 – 80.1 per cent – voted in favour and 40 – 19.9 per cent – voted against.
The average house price in the village is now £1m and, as in other villages in the area, locals say they are being priced out.
Those who remain have warned of the area being ‘hollowed out’ by the large number of properties which are often left empty.
Now the proposals have been approved they will become part of the village’s neighbourhood plan which will be used to guide West Norfolk Council when determining local planning applications.
The average house price in the village is now £1m
