Second homes: Too many in parts of Wales, says Drakeford

There are too many second homes in some parts of Wales, the first minister has said.

Mark Drakeford said: "We have whole villages where over half the homes are occupied only part of the year."

He said the character of these towns and villages in Wales has changed.

But some second home owners claim they are being made scapegoats and treated unfairly. They argue a shortage of affordable housing is the real problem.

Mr Drakeford denied second home owners were being blamed for the situation.

There were 24,873 second homes in Wales registered for council tax purposes in January 2021, according to official figures.

Gwynedd has the highest number of second homes at 5,098 - 20% of all second homes in Wales - and one in every 10 houses in the county is now a second home.

This is followed by Pembrokeshire with 4,072 (9.15% of all homes), Anglesey with 2,112 (8.26%) and Ceredigion with 1,735 (5.91%), according to council and Welsh government figures for 2020.

The deputy leader of Gwynedd Council has said second home ownership is "immoral."

Dafydd Meurig told the Senedd's housing and local government committee it was "immoral that there are people who own more than one house when there are people without a single home".

There have been concerns over a loophole that allows property owners to avoid premium rates of council tax on second homes by registering their homes as businesses.

Mr Drakerford stressed second home owners must expect to pay the rates demanded by local authorities.

"We expect people who are in a very fortunate position of being able to afford two homes rather than one, to make their contribution," he said.

"What we are in the business of doing is trying to make sure that local people, young people in particular, have a fair chance to go on living growing up and contributing in the communities into which they were born, helping to create the character of those communities that makes it attractive to other people."

Jonathan Martin, from the Home Owners of Wales Group, said: "We are being used as a scapegoat because of their failed national policies."

As part of a new co-operation deal with Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Labour government has proposed tax increases and planning controls, in a range of measures to combat the increase in second homes and lets.

Mr Morrison said: "If I was a politician, do I want to stand up and admit I've failed in my duty to nominate the number of homes I needed 10 years ago?

"No, I'll blame someone else, I'll blame the second home owners."