Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Second Homes: Devon and Cornwall

Monday 7 March 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Pollard asked about the trends in second homes in Devon and Cornwall from 2010 to 2022.
  • The number of second homes for council tax purposes decreased from 28,126 in 2010 to 26,853 in the current year.
  • The Minister offered to meet Luke Pollard and a delegation to discuss the issue of no-fault evictions and second homes.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Housing
Context

Data shows a trend of increasing second homes in the region, impacting local communities.

Question

What assessment has been made of trends in the level of second homes in Devon and Cornwall between 2010 and 2022? The number of second homes for council tax purposes was 28,126 in 2010, and it is now at 26,853 this year. The government recognises the adverse effects that large numbers of second homes can have on some areas.

Answer from Stuart Andrew

Data on second homes in Devon and Cornwall can be found on the Government's council tax base website. The number of second homes for council tax purposes was 28,126 in 2010, and is at 26,853 this year. The Government recognise the adverse effects that large numbers of second homes can have on some areas, and we have introduced a number of measures to mitigate those effects, including high rates of stamp duty tax for those purchasing additional properties.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures or details about how the government intends to further address the issue were not provided beyond mentioning stamp duty tax.

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Q2 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Housing
Context

West country families are facing no-fault evictions, leading to homes becoming second homes or holiday lets.

Question

More west country families are being turfed out of their homes through no-fault evictions, only to find those homes appearing on Airbnb a few days later. Every west country family should have a first home, but we are becoming known as a region of second homes and holiday lets. Will the Minister meet a delegation from the First Homes not Second Homes campaign so that we can look at how the Government can adopt Welsh Labour's proposal to charge 300% council tax on empty properties and second homes that are empty for much of the year, and ensure that every family can have a first home?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise this issue, which was one of the main topics that came up when I met several of my colleagues just last week. I am more than happy to meet the delegation, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, and will try to arrange that as quickly as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address the specific proposal or provide any new commitments beyond expressing willingness to meet.

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