Norfolk villagers take action over second home ownership as locals get priced out of the market

Residents in a Norfolk coastal village are taking a stand against second home ownership.

A new planning clause is being introduced in Heacham on the north Norfolk coast, preventing any newly built homes being sold to people who do not intend to live in them full-time.

Residents voted overwhelmingly to stop all new homes being sold as holiday lets or second homes.

Tracy Raby, from the Heacham neighbourhood planning scheme said: "We want them to come for their holiday and then go home - not buy a home and leave it empty for 10 months of the year."

"If you drive around North Norfolk in the winter all those lovely little villages are just in complete darkness," she added.

Ms Raby said: "It's about maintaining Heacham as a vibrant cohesive village. We want people to live and work here, we want to keep the schools going with younger people coming in with the children.

"Although some people argue that holiday homes do bring benefits for the economy, if they're empty for 10 months of the year it's not the same as having a permanent resident."

The new clause in the local plan means all newly built homes can only be sold as principal residences - and providing those homes for local people will have to be considered in all new housing planning applications.

Stuart Dark, leader of King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council, said: "This is the latest policy affecting the Heacham area and it has gone through a public referendum and independent examination.

"Here is a document that says Heacham would not like new developments that are actually second home focused and there should be safeguards within it to make sure those homes are only built and that they go to local people," Mr Dark added.

"They should be applauded that they have got that past the independent review," he continued.

Fewer than 5,000 people permanently live in Heacham, with second home ownership pushing local residents out of the housing market.

The number of second homes has risen from 183 in 2001, to 303 in 2020 and it is thought that figure is probably even higher because of people leaving London during the pandemic.

The average house price in Heacham is around £312,000 - while the average annual wage is around £17,000, putting home ownership for many local residents out of reach.

It is an issue seen across the north Norfolk coast - at Salthouse over half of all properties are second homes.