North Norfolk housing scheme helps locals stay in areas of high second home ownership

• Watch this video report by Callum Fairhurst

A scheme is aiming to help local people find homes in areas where house prices are soaring, amid growing rates of second home ownership.

People living along the north Norfolk coast say they are being forced to move out of the area they grew up in as people snap up seaside properties to use as holiday homes or let out.

North Norfolk has the highest rate of second homes outside of London - in the coastal village of Salthouse 50.3% are second homes.

People living there say it has pushed up house prices and rental rates, which has forced some locals to move. 

Homes for Wells is providing rental homes at a low rate to give locals a chance to stay in the area.

The organisation is able to afford the homes through donations, grants and loans.

Annie Golding, a volunteer at the organisation, said: "We provide secure, affordable rental accommodation for a lot of local people that work here which is mostly minimum wage, seasonal work. The price of private rental is really unaffordable."

Becky Weston and her sons Oliver and Charlie live in one of the 30 properties owned by Homes for Wells - but has many friends who have been forced away by rising prices.

"I've lived in Wells since I was born. I did have a private let house but it was sold," she said.

"I applied for Homes for Wells and was luckily given a place here. A lot of friends and family had to move out of the area. We are lucky to have stayed here. It is sad to see a lot of local people go out of the area."

High-priced holiday lets and greater demand for properties have been driving up costs.

Politicians say the issue is getting worse. 

Liz Withington, a North Norfolk District councillor, said many landlords were cashing in on high property sale prices.

She said: "We've had quite significant numbers of young people and families who are coming to us, who have been in private rental accommodation, and those rents are coming to an end and landlords are seeing at the moment house prices are high and buoyant and they want to take advantage of that."

Estate agencies working in the area say more people are looking to move to North Norfolk for a better quality of life.

Charlie Graham-Wood, sales manager at Sowerbys, said: "What has fuelled the market we're seeing at the moment is people have spent a long time taking stock and prioritising quality of life rather than chasing careers and of course, that's driven a lot of people to [choose] the wonderful quality of life we have here in north Norfolk.