'No more second homes' - fed-up villager puts sign on house in Cornwall
A resident in a village in north Cornwall has put a sign which says "no more second homes, our village is dying".
Steve Ridholls was born in St Agnes but says despite its vibrant community it is now "dying" because of the number of second homes there.
Speaking outside his home, the forces veteran said: “I was born in the village but moved away and came back.
“Second homes have become more of a problem in recent years but even worse during Covid because people have come down and realised they can work remotely from here.
“As a result house prices have gone up and locals can’t afford to buy. It’s unlikely my daughter will be able to buy here in the village she was born.”
Steve said the straw which broke the camel’s back was when a visitor went to view a property for sale in what is a predominantly local area of St Agnes.
He said: “I bet it wouldn’t even be his primary residence.
“These sorts of people are able to gazump local buyers and I thought by putting this sign up, hopefully some people will think twice about the damage being done to communities.
“I’m not resentful towards visitors, I just feel passionate about homes for local people.
“There’s places like Cadgwith and Portloe that have all the lights off during the winter and St Agnes is heading that way.
“Young local people just can’t get on the ladder. Developers are sticking a few affordable houses in each development but these are just a token few.
“The neighbours have all said good on me, the whole matter has just really wound me up.”
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