North Norfolk: 'No impact on house prices from second homes'

Second homes and holiday lets in north Norfolk have not impacted on house prices and affordability, a report has found.

Councillors for North Norfolk District Council said, however, there was a need to balance business and local housing needs.

The local authority has the highest rate of second homes of any in England and Wales, outside of London.

It is set to make recommendations based on the report next week.

As of 1 April, North Norfolk had 7,169 second and holiday homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Amid concerns about the impact of the numbers, the report found there was "no clear evidence that high numbers of holiday and second homes effects house prices and affordability".

Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Withington welcomed the publication of the report, which she said showed that blanket restrictions on second ownership - like in St Ives, Cornwall - could have unintended consequences.

"A blanket ban stresses other areas such as employment, wage levels and house prices in other areas of the housing market that haven't previously been affected," she said.

She backs instead a government proposal which could allow council tax to be doubled on second homes.

Currently, holiday lets make the council more money than second homes as it keeps 40p of every pound of business rates versus 8p of council tax.

The report will go before the council's overview and scrutiny committee next week, which is expected to make a series of recommendations to find balance between business and local housing needs, which chair Nigel Dixon predicted would be necessary, along with future reports.

Proposals include looking at how both council tax and planning restrictions could be used to address places with a high concentration of second homes and holiday lets such as the Broads and coastal areas.

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