There could be “no young people left on Exmoor” because of high house prices and low wages, it's been claimed.
Exmoor Young Voices is warning it is becoming increasingly difficult for younger people to get onto the housing ladder, meaning many are moving to other parts of the country.
Prices on Exmoor have been gradually driven up by the large amount of people buying second homes. As a result more young people are being forced to live with their families for longer.
28 year-old Will Lock is someone affected by the problem. He lives in Hawkridge with his parents and grandparents.
Will Lock has found it difficult to find a place of his own on the Moor. Credit: ITV West Country
Will is one of the founders of the group Exmoor Young Voices. It was set up to help young people on the Moor have a say on issues including housing, transport and digital inclusion.
Credit: ITV West Country
Exmoor National Park Authority, responsible for planning on the Moor, insists it is listening, and says there have been an increasing number of affordable houses being built in recent years.
Tourism is also a key industry on Exmoor and striking that balance between housing and encouraging tourism has traditionally been a challenge.
Young people are struggling not to be priced out of Exmoor homes. Credit: ITV West Country
What other ways can young people be kept on Exmoor?
Justin and Linda Tyers live in Exton and are hoping they can set an example after building their own home for just £67,000.
There’s no doubt that Exmoor is a place of great beauty - it’s, therefore, a very desirable place to live.
However all sides agree that more work needs to be done to grant the desires of future generations who want Exmoor to remain their home.
