RESIDENTS at war with second-home owners in a cute seaside town say their council tried to help – but a loophole has made it a disaster.
Out-of-towners have snapped up one in four properties in Tenby on the south Wales coast.
Pembrokeshire County Council has slapped second-home owners with a 200 per cent premium on council tax – tripling their bill.
The tax raid was popular with locals who fear being priced out of their hometown.
But it has now caused a “disaster” – with a loophole making the situation even worse.
Second-home owners can swerve the premium by putting their homes up for sale.
There are now a whopping 172 properties for sale in Tenby on Zoopla – most of which are sitting empty.
Many of the homes on offer are luxury sea-view pads far beyond the budget of first-time buyers.
Estate agent Carol Peett told the Sunday Times: “The sitation is a nightmare – total disaster.
“It’s killing the economy totally. There are loads of empty houses on the market that were holiday cottages.
“People aren’t buying them. The local people can afford things under £250,000. A £750,000 house is never going to drop by enough.”
The second homes which are listed are often far from schools, GPs or supermarkets – making them “totally unsuitable” for young families.
And out-of-towners can also dodge the premium by renting out their homes for six months of the year.
Listing a home as a holiday let for 182 days makes it qualify for business rates – so owners do not have to pay ANY council tax.
Other locals said second-home owners help the area by eating out every night.
They said the council is scapegoating second-home owners for its own failure to build enough social housing.
And some residents said they have been snared by the new rules while actual second-home owners dodge the premium.
Rob Davies, 68, inherited a fisherman’s cottage which his great-grandfather built in Tenby 170 years ago.
Pensioner Rob lives there all year by himself – but because he is married an his life lives elsewhere, he pays £6,000 in council tax.
The eye-watering bill leaves just £200 a month of Rob’s hard-earned state pension.
Councillor Joshua Benyon said: “The whole point of the scheme is not to raise money.
“It’s to increase the supply of housing within Pembrokeshire. It’s underway at the moment.
“It’s a hard balance to find between addressing the housing crisis locally but also making sure we support the tourist industry.”
Benyon said council is taking a second look at the scheme after four months.
But he pointed to a three per cent year-on-year drop in second-home owners as evidence it is working.
He said the council is drawing up another scheme where first-time buyers own part of their home and the council owns the rest.
Pembrokeshire county councillor Benyon added: “It’s a really difficult one.”
CASTLE Beach in Tenby was voted the best in Britain in 2019 - but officials say it is plagued by rodents burrowing into the cliff above it.
Rats are believed to be feeding on food dropped by tourists including seaside picnics, fish and chips and ice creams.
Tenby is well-loved by tourists for its large sandy beaches, quaint fishing harbour, and dozens of independent shops, pubs and restaurants.
But locals fear the rat problem could pose a serious risk to the iconic seafront which is adorned with buildings painted in pastel shades.
Councillor Michael Williams said: “The rodent infestation is very considerable at Castle Hill.
“A large area of the cliff appears to have extensive tunelling by rodents, which make the cliff appear unstable.
“There also appears to be a major infestation opposite WH Smith in the council gardens, with extensive burrowing into the cliff area.”
Cllr Williams raised the concerns with Pembrokeshire County Council who have said it is aware of the problems and warned visitors against feeding birds.
A spokesman for the council said: “We are aware of issues with rodents and the need of additional baiting points.
“We are working to address this concern. We are using specialist staff to address the access to the cliff face.”
The spokesman added: “This may also allow us regular access for the future as well.
“In the meantime, we advise against anyone feeding the birds and dropping food waste.
“In the first instance we are considering additional signage to reinforce this message.”
Castle Beach was voted number one UK beach in the Great British Beach Guide 2019 with travel writer Chris Haslam saying it was the “runaway winner”.
He said: “It’s not just the lovely people, the superb facilities or the sheer beauty of the place.
“There’s something else: a pure and powerful seaside magic that awakens everyone’s inner child.”
